Kiss Me
by letgolaughing
Summary: David's dreamshade infection isn't caught in time in Neverland and with a little push from Regina's magic he unintentionally finds himself in a world tainted with Regina's memories and dreams. It is called dreamshade for a reason after all. Connected to this story is Giving In and you can read it for a little history if you like ;) The rating may or may not change.
1. Chapter 1

**New story! It is truly a blank slate lol so if you have any requests or ideas PLEASE tell me! This whole first half of the story is pretty much a free for all just because I like working with your ideas and I am bummed when I can't always fit them in.**

 **So tell me what you want! :) it's gonna be fun!**

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Neverland. She hated it. It was dark. And she didn't mean the twisted and evil sort of dark, she meant the fact that they never saw the damn sun. It was always dark. She didn't know what day it was, what time it was, how long they had actually been there for, she hadn't a clue and no one else did either. It had driven them all absolutely mad. They were almost done there though, she could feel it. They were close. She hoped.

Her attention snapped to David once again when he tripped and her irritable expression of thought only turned more bitter as a result of his interruption. As if her gaze didn't linger on him enough already. She hated how often she found herself pining after him. Ever since lasagna at her house. It had only gotten worse with his constant presence after the curse broke. It hadn't stopped until Snow and Emma has returned from their unscheduled trip to the Enchanted Forest through Jefferson's hat.

However, even with Snow having been returned for some time now, Regina still caught him studying her instead. Not as often as she herself found her gaze lingering on him, but often enough for her to notice.

Even here in Neverland she had caught him. Snow was still entirely oblivious to the fact Regina had slept with her darling Prince. Regina imagined she was also oblivious to the kisses they shared while she was in the Enchanted Forest with Emma. Regina never spoke a word about it and she refused to acknowledge her reasons for keeping David so close to her broken heart. It was unhealthy, sure, indulging so deeply in that kind man's offered affections and support when she was so hurt and vulnerable. Not that he was in any different a state when Snow jumped in the hat.

So their gazes lingered on one another from time to time, both of them befuddled as to why it kept drifting like a compass pointing north and both hating that they held lingering feelings toward one another. It would pass, she was sure. Or it would build until it blew up at the most inopportune moment.

That wasn't on her mind though when she scowled at him for tripping too close to her and drawing her from her thoughts on Henry and how to get him home. Inconsiderate oaf. But then she noticed how pale he was and her scowl softened to a frown as she stood up and he shook his head in denial and warning to back off. They had been bickering throughout the majority of this trip, harsh and vicious and truly unnecessary. They were acting like children, she was aware. But none of that mattered when his balance swayed in his attempt to step away from her.

"David?" Snow asked in concern as she carefully walked toward him while Regina marched up to him as though she was going to tear him apart in a sudden fit of rage.

"That wasn't a branch, was it," Regina snarled furiously as the pieces fell together in her mind and he had the audacity to laugh. She hated how she went cold with dread at the sound. It was a tired laugh, a faded laugh, and he swayed again before she pushed his back to a tree to steady him as she tugged open his jacket so she could get to his shirt.

Thrown off by the sight of Regina pinning her husband to a tree and pulling at his clothes, Snow frowned and turned her head in confusion as her voice dipped with her chin, "what the hell are you doing."

"I'll be fine, Regina," he breathed with a pained smile and felt his body start to sway and collapse as her warm hands stopped on his stomach and side after shoving his cotton shirt up and out of the way, "maybe."

"Shit," she hissed though her teeth as her heart sunk lower in dread and raced in panic, "you're a damn fool!"

"David!" Snow gasped as her hands flew to cover her mouth.

Purple poison webbed his entire torso and it all started from the cut on his side. Ordinarily it wouldn't be anywhere near a life threatening injury. It barely broke the skin. But it was enough and the poison had been in his system ever since. Creeping though his veins, killing him slowly, aiming for his heart. "What the fuck, David?!" Regina yelled in his face, furious and terrified. She didn't want to lose him.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Snow shouted in a panic and then he collapsed and she quickly jumped forward to help Regina get him to the ground gently. "Regina," Snow cried softly but Regina didn't answer and continued to mutter insults under her breath as she waved his shirt and jacket away and promptly put her glowing hands over his heart as the other members of their group quickly gathered to see what was going on. "Regina!" Snow cried and the woman snapped her head to her with an expression that was more panicked and scared than Snow expected it to be.

"What?!" She shouted back as she tried to work the poison away from his heart. She had never worked with dreamshade before.

"Save him," she breathed shakily as her hands squeezed his forearm and Regina looked back and forth between her wide eyes.

 **David**

David walked down the dirt road with aimless but even strides but as he continued, it dawned on him that he didn't know why he was there or how he had gotten there or even where 'there' was for that matter. He tried to remember where he was last but couldn't quite grasp the memory. He knew it had been dark and he knew he had been in pain...he could feel a warmth in his side and in his chest. It was odd and tingling but when he touched the area it was no warmer than the rest of him.

His mind felt cloudy and his ears were ringing but slowly the ringing faded and was replaced with the sounds of a forest. He still didn't know where he was but he figured he may as well continue walking.

So he followed the road toward the sound of people talking and laughing. It took him a few minutes to get there and when he rounded the corner he found himself at a small inn with what looked to be a small bakery attached only it wasn't from the modern world of Storybrooke. No it was quite clear that he was nowhere near Storybrooke. Or Neverland for that matter. He was in the Enchanted Forest.

Oh. Neverland...he had been in Neverland.

He hesitated for a few moments before he continued forward, mostly just because he was caught up in learning where he had been before his apparent arrival there. He nearly made it to the counter of the bakery before he was cut off by a brunette woman. So he took the delay to look around but it only lasted a moment or two before his attention was immediately caught by the familiar voice of the woman. It was very different but it was her voice all the same.

"I need my usual order please, Molly," she grinned and leaned forward, bending at the waist a little so she was almost inside the little bakery.

Molly rolled her eyes and smiled and the young woman started laughing through her teeth, "you are going to get caught one of these days."

"She hasn't caught me yet," she grinned and Molly shook her head with a laugh under her breath as she turned around and began looking through the shelves of bread and pastries.

"Knock on wood, my dear," she laughed and then heard two slow knocks on the wooden counter and turned to find the woman laughing through her wide grin once more as she slid off the counter and stood tall as she turned away.

David stared at her in confusion and frustration and when she turned, she turned in his direction and stopped suddenly, startled that he was there but then smiled up at him.

"Hello," she greeted with a smile but he simply cocked his head slowly and squinted his eyes which had her laughing under her breath, "what? Do you not speak English?"

"Who are you?" He asked slowly in his confusion.

She shook her head as she laughed quietly and offered him her hand, "my name is Regina," she smiled and when he didn't shake her hand and kept his confused and stern gaze on her, she glanced down at her hand and then back up to him as she let it fall back to her side, "and you are?"

"...David."

"It's nice to meet you, David," she nodded but still his expression was only confusion and frustration, "what's your deal?" She nodded up at him with a mischievous smirk.

"...I am pretty sure...that I am dreaming..."

"Well I'm flattered but despite my beauty I can assure you I am very real," she smirked and bit back a laugh at his entirely unimpressed stare back at her.

"Cocky as ever, aren't you," he deadpanned and she narrowed her eyes a little but her smirk stayed in place.

"Regina!"

She turned to the sound of children calling her name and immediately smiled at the trio of siblings running toward her and she practically skipped over to meet them halfway with a smile.

David pivoted to watch her go and his confusion only heightened when the sister and two brothers began chatting up a storm with Regina and their parents greeted her kindly and she them before they carried on. It didn't make any sense. Regina was bright and happier than he had ever seen her. Her appearance was different too. Her hair was long and left down in dark waves that hit the middle of her back. She wore beige riding pants and shining black riding boots and a white shirt beneath a tailored forest green coat fashioned much like a blazer. She was simple and soft and it was strange.

"You seem lost."

David turned around to look at the woman on the other side of the counter, "just a little," he smiled and she smiled back as she leaned forward to brace her weight on the wooden counter, "I haven't been to this realm in a very long time. Could you give me an update on current events or something?"

Molly breathed out a laugh and nodded as he walked a couple steps and stopped in front of her, "sure. Locally there isn't much happening. You've met Regina. Her father is fifth in line for king Xavier's throne but he is nothing to be concerned about for he is a gentle man. Her mother, Cora, however is a different story. Very powerful, very stern, and very strict. Regina comes here often to escape it. Her father covers for her. I fear for the girl though if her mother were to catch her here and find that she comes for the company rather than merely the bread their hired hands could retrieve for them. She is a wonderful girl, very good heart, and a quick tongue that I am sure has gotten her in to trouble. Aside from her family though it is a quiet little place.

As for our monarchy; there are rumours that the Queen has fallen ill. King Leopold is out on business and no one is certain if he is aware of his wife's condition. The princess is here though. Poor thing. The kingdom is thriving otherwise," she finished with a smile and a shrug and the man in front of her just stared at her shaking his head. But eventually he sighed and dipped his head in thanks.

"Thank you that is very helpful."

"Of course. Anything you need."

With a smile and a tap on the counter between them, David moved to turn away but stopped and started speaking again instead, "actually I do need a place to stay but I'm afraid I haven't got anything to my name at the moment."

"Well I'm afraid I do not have any work for you here," she frowned and then crossed her jaw in thought as she thrummed her fingers and then stopped, "actually Regina will surely help you with your predicament."

David furrowed his brow and turned to look for the brunette he would prefer to steer clear of, "Regina?"

"The darling thing hates to see a person go uncared for. She will figure something out for you. They may even be hiring themselves."

David looked over his shoulder again to where Regina stood talking with the mother of the three children and then looked back to the friendly baker, "is there no one else?"

Molly furrowed her brow with a light laugh, "you've only just met her. What have you got against her?"

"Nothing it's just...no that's alright, I'll go talk to her. Thank you," he nodded with a strained smile before turning and walking toward Regina. Of all the people he had to ask for help from. He waited patiently off to the side until she finished her conversation with the mother of three and as the mother passed him, he nodded politely in greeting. When he focused back on Regina she was already looking at him with a smile, "I find you strange," he stated plainly with a small frown that was verging on a scowl.

Regina's smile grew a little as she breathed out a laugh with her reply, "I find you rather strange as well, David."

"I was talking to Molly and she said you may be able to help me find a place to stay for I haven't anything to my name and would prefer not to make camp in the middle of the forest," he explained reluctantly but slowly her smile and attention were pulled away by something over his shoulder. Before he could look to see or ask her what she was looking at, she gripped the fabric of his shirt over his stomach with one hand gave him a hard tug that sent him crashing in to her and sent her backward so he unintentionally had her pinned against a wooden wagon full of straw.

"Regina!" He growled and tried to push away from her but she pulled him back so he stayed flush against her.

"Sshhh," she hushed and kept a firm hold on his shirt to keep him from moving away from her.

"Regina-!"

"Shut _up_!"

It was then that she saw the fear in her expression. Right when her eyes met his. It took a moment for him to recognize it for he had never really seen her scared before but her soft mouth and dark eyes clearly expressed her need for him to stay put. So he took a deep breath and adjusted his feet so he was more balanced, placed his hands on either side of her waist, and dropped his head just a little lower so that to their surrounding audience the pair of them looked to be no more than a man kissing a woman. He didn't appreciate it but she unmistakably did.

Her grip around his shirt loosened until her fingertips rested lightly against his stomach and her other hand was placed flat against his chest as she let out a long soft breath. Then he frowned as he felt his body's will to relax in to her and truly pin her down. He had done it before. The Regina he knew fit so nicely against him. It was something he shouldn't know but did. He craved that woman. Try as he might to deny it, he craved her. But this was different. This was confusing and irritating and he focused on that because this was not the Regina he knew. This wasn't even a time period he knew.

At the sound of a carriage passing by he felt her grow tense beneath him and she held her breath. He furrowed his brow at the reaction but kept still and listened to the carriage drive away and soon enough there was no sound of it. She stayed tense and he stayed put until she was going to let him go. A few long moments passed until there was a chime of a bell and Regina relaxed instantly and dropped her head to rest her forehead against his as she breathed out a relieved laugh and lifted her hands to hang off his neck.

"Thank you," she smiled and despite her eyes being closed she knew he was still frowning. Why, she didn't know.

"You're welcome," he offered simply and she hummed a single laugh and moved a thumb over the corner of his jaw before she let go of him and slipped out from between him and the wagon. He didn't like how he missed her touch or her closeness.

"You are cutting it much too close!" Molly called out to her with an amused shake of her head.

"She wasn't supposed to return home until this evening!" Regina reasoned, still shaken up with the adrenaline rush that came with her nervousness, "it won't be long now until she comes to fetch me. Is the bread nearly ready?"

"Almost."

Regina nodded with a smile and then turned back to look at David, "thank you again for that," she smiled and found herself sizing him up, her eyes lingering appreciatively over his face and body. He was handsome and strong and she cocked her head suddenly with a grin that almost showed her teeth.

David furrowed his brow at her, entirely displeased by the way she was looking at him. Pleasure and appreciation in regard to his appearance causing her dark eyes to light up, "how old are you?"

"I am by no means a child if that's what you're asking," she smirked as she gave him another once over and his unimpressed scowl fell deeper while her smirk grew to a grin that was all teeth. Then she laughed quietly in her throat and answered his inquiry, "there isn't much for work anywhere close that I am aware of that will offer a place to stay. Nor is there anywhere close that will offer a room for work in exchange. However if you are good with horses we have a place open for a stable hand. Sleeping quarters are above the stables and you will be provided with three meals a day and on top of it all you will also be paid."

David shook his head once and furrowed his brow deeper, "what's the catch?"

"No catch," she chuckled lightly, "it is a job offer. If you are terrible then you will be let go. Simple as that."

"Regina," the baker called.

With one last smile in David's direction, Regina turned and walked back up to Molly who held out a basket filled with various breads and rolls all covered by a white cloth. "Thank you," she smiled and dropped a bag of coins on the counter as she took the basket.

"Regina," she drew out her name in a scolding tone and picked up the small bag, "this is far too much."

"There is far more bread in here than I ordered," she countered with a smile over her shoulder. Molly simply shook her head with a grateful smile as she nodded in return and carefully placed the money in her apron pocket. When Regina turned her head back straight she gasped and jumped back a little at the stern woman looking back at her, "you startled me."

"What are you doing?"

"I was picking up bread," she stated simply and lifted the basket a little.

"What on earth possessed you to come and get it yourself?"

"It is a nice day and everyone else was busy. I had a little extra time on my hands so rather than spending that time riding, I took a walk down here," she explained knowing full well that her mother hated that she spent every free second of her time on her mare's back and therefore she would get off the hook for coming down here instead. No questions asked.

Cora sighed out her nose and gave a subtle shake of her head, "hopeless," she breathed in disapproval and reached forward to lift her daughter's chin and Regina obeyed without a word. With another shake of her head she moved to step away but Regina's voice stopped her.

"This man came to me in search of work," she pivoted only enough for her mother to see him behind him, "I mentioned we have an opening as a stable hand. He seems well enough."

Cora looked the man up and down and stepped up to him. He did not cower in her presence but he was cautious and respectful. It was obvious to her that he new precisely who she was and what she was capable of and she liked that. "You will do for now," she agreed with disinterest as she looked him over again, "your pay will start after a week. I will know by then if I want to keep you."

"Fair," David nodded and the instant she turned her back to him he flicked his eyes to Regina who kept a straight face when she was in her mother's line of sight. The very moment Cora passed her though, Regina's mouth pulled in to a smug grin and she gave a small rock of her head before she turned around and likely schooled her expression back down to indifference.

"Shall I walk and show him the way, mother?"

"Well I am certainly not taking him home," she laughed irritably as she turned around and took the basket of bread from her daughter, "you found him. Now go put him in his place."

Regina nodded once in agreement, her expression submissive and calm as she gently clasped her hands in front of her and let them hang down. It was odd to see her without anger. Not even a hint of it. When Cora vanished in a cloud of purple smoke he didn't even blink and simply watched curiously as Regina rocked on her toes and leaned forward to look down the road. Once she was satisfied she turned to him with a smile and beckoned him forward with her fingers.

As he started walking toward her she looked past him to Molly, "goodbye! I'm sure I'll see you again soon!" The baker only replied with a shake of her head and a wave of her hand as she laughed to herself.

David fell in step beside her but kept a good distance between them while he found himself shaking his head at her, "you are not what I thought."

"Oh? And what did you think?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of your mother actually."

She gave a single humourless laugh with a shake of her head, "I am nothing like my mother," she only heard a short hum in response but she let it go. She didn't want to start arguing with the person she knew she'd be seeing a lot of, "so where are you from?"

"That's a complicated question to answer."

Regina squinted her eyes as her brow creased with confused laughter, "alright where were you before you arrived here today?"

"...A place called Neverland."


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm working as fast as I can! Your reviews are awesome! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! I know the beginning is a little slow but I promise things will pick up and I am rather certain the rating will change. Please leave a review and tell me what you think and what you want!**

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He had been there too long. He didn't actually quite know how long he had been there for the days just seemed to blur together or jump from one event to the next which only enforced his belief that he was caught in a dream of some sort. He had concluded it was due to the dreamshade but he clearly wasn't dead. Which was something good he supposed. He had still been there too long.

Surely someone would have come up with a way to wake him by now? Or perhaps time was just moving faster in his mind than it truly was out in the real world. The only thing that gave him pause regarding his coma dream theory was that everything looked, sounded, and felt too real to be fake. But perhaps that all had something to do with whatever had him living through Regina's past.

He kept his head down though all the same. Regina and her father were nothing to worry about but Cora had him staying well within the lines of his work. He may be dreaming but in case he wasn't or in case his body wasn't healed enough for him to wake, he didn't want to risk dying there. So he worked. He stayed in the stables and cared for the structure and the horses within it. There were four.

There were the two black mares that pulled the family carriage and, if required, were ridden by Cora or Henry. Then there was the grey gelding that came to him with the job lest he need to go somewhere or get something from the town. Like a company car. Only the car was a horse. And the company was, well, Cora. The last horse was Regina's and he'd be damned if anyone saw how fond he was of that sweet little mare. Rocinante.

Regina absolutely adored her and was there in the stables every chance she got. Even if only for a moment to say hello to her little chestnut. David rarely had to care for the mare really for Regina tended to be there to do it herself. But in the quiet moments while Regina was in the manor, he found himself outside Rocinante's stall more often than not.

"Do you ever smile?"

David's attention snapped to the brunette at the sound of her voice and before he even laid eyes on her he knew she was smirking. He could tell by the tone of her voice. Sure enough, those soft pink lips were pulled in to a smirk and those dark eyes were lit up with the game as she lead her mare in to the stable from the opposite end he stood at. "I do," he answered shortly and kept his back leaning against the door frame and his arms folded over his chest.

Regina hummed in playful doubt with a raise of an eyebrow, sending Rocinante in to her stall but keeping her eyes on her stableboy, "I find that hard to believe," she smirked and when he scowled at her, she showed all her teeth in a grin and laughed quietly as she stepped inside the stall to remove her horse's tack.

With a slight roll of his eyes, David turned his head and looked back out at the expanse of land that belonged to the family. Hills, forest, meadow, a river. It seemed to go on and on and on.

"You do know that you are allowed to take Ben out, right?"

"Hmm?"

"Ben. The grey. You can ride him. You aren't trapped in these stables forced to stare out at the grounds with such a forlorn look in your eye," she told him simply as she pulled her saddle from Rocinante's back and then her bridle from her face.

"I am aware."

"And yet you haven't taken advantage?" She questioned curiously as she stepped out of the stall with the saddle on her arm and the bridle in her hand.

"I am waiting for something."

"And what is that?" She asked and he stared at her blankly. She stared right back at him. Patient and curious. But he didn't answer. Instead he changed the subject as he looked back outside.

"You ride very well."

Dropping the topic for now, Regina smirked a little in her amusement with him and shook her head as she turned her attention back to putting away her tack. "Thank you. Mother says I ride like a man."

"Is that an insult?"

"When it leaves her tongue, yes."

"Hmm."

"You still haven't told me where you are from," she inquired with a chirp to her voice that seemed to have caught his attention once more.

"I am from many places."

"Yes," she agreed with a smirk and nod of her head that fell in sync with the smug and intolerant dip of her voice. She had already heard that answer from him. Many times. Every time she asked as a matter of fact. She had gathered rather quickly that he wasn't truly from Neverland and had just been on a journey of some sort but she hadn't gotten any deeper than that. He just kept changing the subject.

"Storybrooke," he answered shortly, humouring the idea of keeping himself entertained in this odd world his mind had created. At the very least it would make time pass faster.

Even if it was still a one word answer, it was a different word and it was encouraging, "I've never heard of it. Where is it?"

"A portal jump away I suppose."

"Well that's interesting. What was the trip like?"

"I couldn't really say. I was asleep on the way there and was a little distracted on he way out."

"However did you manage to sleep through such a journey?" She laughed as she walked over to him and leaned back against the other side of the doorframe so she was across from him with her hands behind her back.

"Well I was stabbed and left for dead."

"Fascinating," she grinned and he looked down at her with his same stern expression, "no wonder you never smile."

"I do smile."

"Just checking," she smirked with a slight raise of her chin. He merely stared at her. It made her smirk curl higher and she nodded at him, "why so grumpy then?"

"I'm not grumpy."

"Mmmm yes you are."

"I am not."

Regina only laughed through her grin as she leaned a little more in to the doorframe, "are you married?"

David hesitated with his answer. Wherever and whenever he had found himself in, Snow was but a young girl, just a child, so he supposed, "no. Not in this world."

"Well that is an intriguing answer. Care to elaborate."

"Not particularly, no."

"Alright," she chuckled and nodded, "any other family?"

He opened his mouth to give a similar answer but then stopped mid thought and felt his heart jump in his chest, "yes...maybe..."

Regina looked up at him curiously with a smile as some sort of realization dawned on him. It was fascinating to watch his face change from the stern resting face she had grown to find amusing, "who?"

"...My mother."

"Well you will have to visit her now that you are back in the area. Unless she's anything like my mother. Then you may feel free to avoid her at all costs," she nodded her head forward with a raise of her brow but David shook his head slightly.

"No she is nothing like your mother. I haven't seen her in...years..."

"Well then we should make a trip out of it!" Regina smiled and David looked down at her with his brow furrowed.

"Excuse me?"

"We shall pick a sequence of days that my mother is out of town and set you up with what you will need and send you off. No return trip necessary if you do not wish. Ben is getting old anyway and mother has never cared for him. I doubt she'll even notice he's gone and if she does she'll assume he died," she shrugged and he studied her carefully in his confusion, "why must you always look at me as though I have seven heads?" She chuckled lightly with her gentle voice and he shook his head a couple times.

"Because...you're just..." He shook his head again in his fight to find a good enough answer, "not who I thought you to be."

"So you've said before," she nodded with a smile and left him a silent offer to explain further. One which he refused. So she asked aloud instead, "why?"

"Because it is the truth."

"But what gave you such an impression in the first place?"

"Experience."

"...What do you mean?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"You are not good at answering them," she pressed and he huffed irritably as he clenched his jaw. "Did you know that if you relax your jaw and open your lips," she nodded a little with a raise of her brow and fought a smirk as she lifted a hand to move in front of her own mouth, "it actually makes it rather simple for the words to come out."

The glare he gave her in return was so stone cold she couldn't help but laugh. He didn't seem to appreciate it. "Oh come on, lighten up," she laughed as she tipped her head back against the doorframe.

"You are a figment of my imagination, I don't need to talk to you," he stated plainly and she laughed. It was quiet and confused at first but then it grew louder and freer with her complete and utter amusement. The more she laughed the more he realized how ridiculous that truly sounded.

"What in the world makes you say that?" She laughed with a shake of her head while her cheeks started to ache with her wide grin and laughter.

"Fine," he conceded irritably and she smirked with a nod of her head and a smug twitch of her eyebrow, "I was in Neverland and while I was there I got hit with an arrow dipped in dreamshade. A lethal poison. I didn't tell anyone about it and the last thing I remember is passing out with her cussing me out. Then I woke up here. Which is impossible, I might add."

"Why is it impossible?"

"Because this has all already happened," he answered with a straightened posture and an agitated arm waving through the air between them.

"You've already met me?"

"Yes. No."

"Which one is it?"

"I haven't met you before. I've known her for years."

"So you think you have traveled back in time?"

"No."

"Good because _that_ is impossible," she nodded but quickly kept the fascinating and confusing conversation continue before he found himself closing his mouth again, "so what is the theory then? You've been in these stables alone for quite some time now, surely you've thought of something."

With a sigh, David conceded to her once more and she listened carefully, "I think that I am laying in a coma either in Storybrooke or in Neverland. I think that her magic has reacted with the dreamshade and that this whole world is made up with our subconsciouses mingling with her memories. I know that I am not changing her memories otherwise I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place but I am rather certain that this whole thing isn't real."

"Alright," she accepted quietly with a nod as she mulled it over. She supposed, in his eyes, it could make sense. Except for the fact that she felt like a rather real and solid person. "So...you are simply waiting to be woken up then."

"Yes."

"Right. And...who is this 'her' you keep mentioning?" She asked with a slight furrow of her brow and his gaze fell to her mouth. And then he frowned in confusion and titled his head. "What are you looking at?"

"Where is your scar?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your scar. On your lip."

"I don't have a scar on my lip. Or anywhere else for that matter. You can check if you like," she added with a playful little smirk that he blatantly ignored as he took a step closer to her. She was beginning to wonder if he even had the brain capacity to tease and play. She didn't so much as bat an eye when he came near. Okay perhaps she did bat a couple times as her smirk grew but his attention stayed on her mouth. Much to her amusement. Such an odd man. "Who is she?" She asked again and his head shook slowly in confusion.

"The Evil Queen."

"And she put you in this state?"

"No. She's trying to wake me up."

"That doesn't sound particularly evil."

"She's not," he stated and then realized how close he was to her. But he couldn't seem to step back. He was caught by those dark eyes; fascinated by the way they held no pain or suffering.

Regina hummed softly in acceptance and admiration. She didn't know his past and just in general didn't know much about him at all. But the way his demeanour softened when he spoke of this queen made her heart warm. "You best not die on her then," she told him kindly and he blinked at her, "in my experience, those with dark hearts aren't particularly inclined to help those who are suffering. Not unless they truly care," she elaborated with a gentle smile and watched as his bitterness regarding his situation slowly started to give way to a humble respect and a deeper understanding of something she was unaware of.

"If this truly is all in your head, and I am but a figment of your joined subconsciouses, intentionally or not she has given you a way inside. Why wouldn't you take advantage of it? Embrace it and learn everything you can so that when you awake you can at the very least thank her properly," she continued and found herself fascinated by how much his character had softened and relaxed, "I would tell you to embrace this so that you can find new ways to love her but that would be counterproductive to what I want to do with you," she smirked and it grew to a grin when a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"So you _can_ smile," she teased with a low laugh lacing her words and lingering in her throat.

"I don't love her," he shook his head and couldn't help but smile. Very much like the Regina he knew, this one was relentless. But instead of spite and snark, it was harmless flirting and constant company. It was hard to wrap his head around but he supposed he enjoyed it.

"Good," she smirked with a rock of her head and he shook his and started walking away from her.

"No," he denied with a smile he wished he could be rid of.

"You say that now," she smirked and her eyes followed his back as he shook his head with a small laugh.

"Do you not have somewhere to be?"

"Sure," she shrugged one shoulder but stayed put, "I'd rather be here though."

"With your horse."

"Amongst other things," she smirked and he gave her a scolding but amused look over his shoulder before he tossed hay in to Rocinante's stall.

"Go. Before Cora has both our heads," he nodded out the door she still leaned back on. She was absolutely stunning. And she knew it. It seemed even in the beginning the dark queen was aware of just how beautiful she was. Long dark curls styled without so much as a single tangle, strong slim figure held tall and proud and dressed to show off her shape but not her skin, soft pink lips that were always in a smirk, dark and daring eyes filled with life and light and minimal makeup. It wasn't helping his case. He already had feelings for the Regina he knew and he hated that upfront but deep down he wanted to feel more. He was bitter to this Regina because he wanted her to keep her distance. He had been entirely agitated by this whole thing.

But...after she gave him a better insight as to what was going on...the small part of him that wanted to feel deeper for Regina wormed its way to the front and tempted his heart and mind. It calmed him and opened his heart without his permission. He wanted to know more, he wanted to know what happened to Regina right from the beginning, what he didn't want was to fall for her where he was. He was in a dream. And she was too young. Not that he knew how old she was. She was just too young. Perhaps. It was hard. She didn't act young. Besides...he was married to Snow.

"I will see you soon, stableboy," she agreed with a smile and a nod and then turned and left to go back up to the manor.

 **Regina**

It was hard to hide what she felt. She wasn't supposed to feel anything as far as those around her were concerned. But it was hard when all she wanted to do was be Snow. All she wanted was to sit there beside him on this godforsaken pirate ship, hold his hand, and stare at him until he woke up. When he had become so important to her, she couldn't say, but he had and she was an anxious wreck.

And she couldn't show it.

"Mom?"

"Hmm? Yes?"

"Are you okay?" Henry frowned and she smiled and nodded.

"I'll be okay."

"I didn't ask if you were going to be okay," he shook his head and her smile grew strained, "I asked if you were okay. Right now," she didn't answer him with words. He knew she wouldn't dare let herself tell him she wasn't okay. He didn't think she was physically capable of it. Her pride and duty to protect him from the real world got in the way. The real world where your mother isn't always okay, the real world where your strong unbreakable mother sometimes needed to fall apart. She didn't answer him with words. She couldn't. But her answer was given in her silence and her further strained smile.

So with a frown and a slump of his shoulders he looked at her and she looked back with tears beginning to gloss her eyes. When she swallowed, his heart ached and he stepped up to the edge of the bed and carefully wrapped his arms around his mother's head and drew her in close. As he buried his nose in her hair and took a breath, she pressed her face in to his chest and wound her arms around his middle. It had been far too long since he had held or been held by her. He missed it. It felt like hot chocolate warming him from the inside out.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too, my son," she breathed and hated that it was shaky.

"You saved me. I am okay. Because of you, I am safe, you don't need to worry about me. I don't know why you're so stressed out over David but he'll be okay too. I know he will."

"When did you get so clever?" She asked with a torn smile against his chest. He was getting older and a little wiser. He was able to read her now and that was something he had never been able to do. He was growing up. She didn't want that...

"You taught me everything I know," Henry laughed a little and then hugged her tighter when she hummed and nuzzled her face deeper in to his chest. "I'm tired...but I am scared to sleep alone..." He confessed quietly and when she moved her head, he loosened his arms so she could hold his face between her hands and look him in the eye with a sad but loving smile and tear glossed eyes. He couldn't help but wonder how a person's face could express so many things at once. And then he wondered how he had convinced himself she was heartless. How cruel he had been to her.

"I don't want to sleep without you in my sight," she shook her head and smiled when he did. Then she moved backward and he quickly kicked off his shoes and climbed on to the bed with her. The moment she laid down he had cuddled himself right in to her and with an easier smile she draped a heavy blanket over them and laid her head on the pillow with him. Sleepy but bright brown eyes looked back at her and made her smile as she tucked his hair behind his ear. He was going to need a haircut when they got back.

Then she kissed the tip of his nose and smiled when he breathed a laugh, "I'm so happy you are safe."

"I knew you'd find me," he told her quietly and got lost in the depths of her dark eyes looking back at him. He didn't think he had ever really and truly looked at her like this. Not so close with such attention to detail. She was absolutely beautiful and her eyes were so dark they challenged the night sky and won just for their warmth.

"Always," she breathed and when he laughed she rolled her eyes. She hadn't meant to use the infamous Snow and Charming tag line, "shut up."

"I won't tell."

"Good," she grumbled but couldn't help but smile as he laughed. "Go to sleep, sweetheart. It's been a long adventure," she sighed softly and he hummed before he kissed the tip of her nose and then tucked his head under her chin so he could nuzzle his nose in to her collar bone and take a deep breath. Slowly her fingers combed through his hair and eventually she found herself being lulled to sleep by his steady and even breaths against her chest. But even on the brink of sleep she found herself worried that she was going to wake up to David having died in the night on the pirate's precious ship. She didn't want to find out how well she would cope with that.


	3. Chapter 3

**hey guys! I'm trying to get these updates posted for you but this has been one hell of a week and most certainly not in a good way lol! So here you go! It's currently 2am, I just got out of my car, and I figured I should post this before I go to sleep ;) enjoy! Please leave a review!**

 **And to the guest who asked if David and Daniel would ever meet and compete for Regina's affections, the answer is no. In a way David has sort of taken Daniel's place. That's how he and Regina's subconscious minds have worked this coma dream world out. Hope that clears things up for you a bit :) And if it doesn't then let me know and I'll try to explain it better in the next chapter. Happy reading!**

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"Do you read?"

"Yes."

"Do you write?"

"Yes."

"Do you...like apples?"

"Depends on who gives it to me," he replied and smirked to himself as he led one of the black mares back in to her stall.

"Odd answer," Regina laughed a little with a furrow of her brow and continued when she heard him laugh under his breath from within the stall, "do you draw?"

"Sometimes."

"Can you sing?"

"I've been told I can."

"Can you play an instrument?"

"No."

"Can you use a sword?"

"Yes."

"Will you teach me?"

"I believe that would be something Cora would disapprove of," he noted as he folded his arms atop the open stall door and leaned in to them with a smile. She had been sitting on those bales of hay for most of his evening chores, happily spending her time asking more and more questions. He had grown to accept it. It was a good distraction. He was even beginning to find himself looking forward to seeing her throughout his days there. It was dangerous, he knew, but it was true. She was hard not to like and he was still at a loss as to how this bright young woman had turned in to the menace the Evil Queen truly was.

"She doesn't have to know," she shrugged with a smirk and he gave her that look in return that told her she was a manipulative little thing. It made her smile.

"Maybe."

"I'll take that answer," she grinned and he breathed a laugh with a shake of his head before he stood tall and closed the stall behind him.

"You are going to be called to dinner in a matter of moments."

"Well then I suppose I should make the most of these last moments here with you," she smirked as she slid down from the bales she had been sitting on. He watched her carefully as she stepped up to him and she didn't stop until she was mere inches from him and his breath caught in his chest. It made her smile and when his gaze fell to her mouth she hummed slowly and watched his jaw clench. These weeks with him had been fun and she was victorious more often than not in getting him to ponder the topic of starting something with her. She didn't want to kiss him first but it was starting to look like she may have to if she was going to build something deeper with him. His resolve was too strong it seemed and she may just need to give him that first push.

But she knew it could be something. She could feel it in her bones that he was supposed to be something to her. That and she truly liked him. He was different. He didn't fawn over her, he didn't give her special treatment, he treated her like she was a person, he respected her, he didn't doubt she was capable of whatever she set her mind to. He was kind, he was smart, and she wanted so desperately to know what it felt like to be touched by the gentle hands he stroked her mare with.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she whispered as her eyes fell to her hand as it lifted from her side. Her fingertips carefully reached forward and when they touched his abdomen her heart skipped and her breath caught. She had never felt like this before. Her heart was racing with desire and her belly was filled with heat and she just wanted to surround herself with him. Only him.

He didn't move as her fingers trailed over his stomach, feeling every gentle rise and fall of his muscles through the thin ivory linen of his shirt. The entire atmosphere around them changed at her touch. Something he found happened in Storybrooke as well. He rarely had control, it had always been she who had determined the mood. It seemed the same applied there. He was defenceless against her. Her touch was soft and explorative and he knew he was slipping so he opened his mouth to pull his focus from her warm and curious fingers.

"Doesn't feel like nothing," he breathed back and she didn't smile. She was absolutely enthralled in the fact she was touching him and it did things to him he would never admit.

"Have you ever felt the overwhelming desire to do something you know very well you shouldn't?"

"Like?"

"Like...kissing the man who fills your mind every moment it is not spent focused on appeasing your tyrant mother's temper," she answered quietly and felt her body start to drift toward his of its own volition. Her heart leapt the moment his hand settled on her hip to keep her from getting any closer than she already was. With her chest just touching his. His hand was so warm. So unlike her mother's cold and harsh touch. It was warm and strong and gentle and she wanted his hands all over her. Holding her, touching her, feeling her. She was dizzy and her mind was hazy and she couldn't quite tell what he was thinking.

"And if I were to kiss you?"

"I would be rather inclined to rise to the challenge."

"But after that?"

"I suppose we would see what the kiss was like," she breathed and was dizzied even further by his shaky breath against her jaw, "and then decide from there."

"Regina, I-..."

"What?"

She was so close, so tempting. The warmth of her body was seeping in to his and she was barely touching him. She was at the point between hovering and pressed against and he didn't quite know what to do with himself. His mind said no. But his body said the opposite. It wanted to drift in to her as hers did to him but his mind only had enough power to keep him still and not enough to make him step away. The very moment he touched her his skin was on fire. He was sure his skin was riddled with goosebumps with the force of the shiver that flew beneath his skin and up his spine when he had set that hand on her hip.

It had been so long since he had touched her and he had missed the contact the very moment he broke it. He hadn't touched her for weeks in Storybrooke, hadn't touched her once in Neverland despite how much he had wanted to, and then here in this world he had purposely refrained from touching her because he knew how he was going to react to it. And now with her so close...he had never been so close to a relapse. That is what it was; a relapse. This woman was an addiction that he didn't want to be rid of and wasn't sure he even should be rid of.

These weeks with her had only made the craving stronger.

Weeks of flirtatious banter, weeks of watching her walk with that delicious sway to her hips, weeks of falling victim to that smirk multiple times in a single conversation, weeks of...pining really. Pining and lusting. He was hit with the full force of it the moment his fingertips wrapped around her hip. He almost broke. He was holding on by a thread and her soft warm breath against his lips paired with his thumb sliding slowly over the front of her hip and her hand on he stomach...he was ready to lean in the rest of the way when he heard the footsteps outside.

Before his hazy thoughts could even catch up he had stepped away and turned his back to her. Without a word and after a breath to clear his mind, he started tossing the horses their dinner and tried to get a handle on himself. He could not kiss her. Ever.

"David what-" Regina's quiet voice was cut off quickly and the voice that did did the cutting made her nearly jump out of her skin.

"Regina. Why do must you be so adamant on spending every moment of your time in this place," Cora demanded tiredly and her daughter turned on her heels with her head slightly bowed and her hands gently clasped in front of her.

"Sorry, mother. David had made me aware of the time, I simply found myself distracted."

"Who is David?"

"The...stableboy, mother..."

"Oh don't pester me with such trivial things," she snapped and her daughter nodded.

"Sorry mother."

"Lift your chin," she scolded under her breath for the umpteenth time and Regina quickly obeyed the finger beneath her chin, "for god's sake."

David watched silently out of the corner of his eye, not daring to catch Cora's cold stare as he worked. The way she treated Regina made his skin crawl. Every interaction he watched between them had him wanting to scrub his skin clean with sandpaper. He couldn't tell which interactions were worse. The ones similar to what he was watching now or the instances where Cora acted as though she had a heart to bring her daughter back to her with the siren call of her love. So beautiful and tempting it was blinding but it was still completely and entirely dangerous and formed with only lies.

He hated it.

It was not what a mother was supposed to be.

He didn't imagine he was going to be sleeping well tonight. He never slept well when he went to bed angry.

"The guests are waiting."

 **Regina**

She had exhausted every brain cell and every piece of inked parchment she had. All her books and scrolls, every piece of magic she had already memorized, she had even gone through Belle's library. Even Rumple had been convinced to help. But they were no closer to getting David to wake up. Whale didn't have any answers either. David was fine, perfectly healthy in every aspect but he wouldn't wake up. He was breathing on his own, his brain hadn't swelled, his organs hadn't failed, his body wasn't bleeding, he was perfect.

He just wouldn't wake up. It was exhausting.

"Here," Henry offered gently but she still jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Henry," she greeted softly as she gratefully took the steaming tea from his grip and held it between both her hands, "what are you doing here?"

"I got home from school like an hour ago."

"...Oh...I uh...I didn't hear you come in."

"Yeah I noticed," he laughed a little and she frowned at her tea, "you haven't been sitting in this room all day have you?"

"No," she breathed her answer quickly with a furrow of her brow and a shake of her head. But when she looked him in the eye she caved at the look he gave her and gave half a smile, "maybe."

"Hmm," he hummed in disapproval and she raised a single brow at the reply as she brought the mug to her lips. A brow of warning that made him smile, "it's only been a few days, mom. He'll wake up. Maybe he just misses being in a coma," he shrugged a shoulder and then grinned in utter delight when she laughed.

"I can't really say I blame him," she sighed with a smile and a laugh still lingering in her voice, "he gets a free pass on all housework, peace keeping, and villain fighting. I am rather tempted to slip a coma myself now that I think about it," she smirked and Henry laughed and shook his head.

"Why do you want him awake so bad anyway?"

"Snow won't get off my back about it."

"That's not the reason," he told her softly but sternly and she smiled a kind mask of a smile that gave him no answers.

"No," she breathed with a slight shake of her head and reached over the short distance between them so she could comb his hair behind his ear with her fingertips, "it's not."

"What is then?"

"I'm not quite sure," she answered gently as she studied his face just because she could. Then the hand in his hair slipped around his shoulders and she pulled him in to her side so she could kiss his temple.

Henry hummed a loving laugh in return and returned her embrace with his arm around her shoulders, "you could have at least picked a better excuse."

"Oh I don't know. It works rather well."

"Mom, I haven't so much as heard Snow since we got home. If she was pestering you, I would know," he teased and she rolled her eyes with her lips pursed.

"I suppose there is that...minor detail," she drawled out as she looked back at the book she had been reading for the third time. Just in case. Her smile quickly returned when Henry stretched his neck and rested his chin atop her head.

Everything was back to normal. Aside from the fact the curse was broken, they had just killed a centuries old boy, Rumple was playing with the good guys, she was cordial with Snow, David was in a plant juice induced coma, and she had developed a rather startling amount of feelings for the idiot prince. Aside from basically her entire position in life, everything was back to normal. There in her personal library with a mug of tea and Henry's arms around her watching her work That was really all that mattered.

"I missed this," Henry spoke her thoughts aloud and heard her hum in gentle agreement. And then the front door opened and they both sighed a little and the reaction had them both smiling to themselves. He truly was his mother's son.

"Regina?"

"Ah, see?" She raised her brow with her chirped voice and Henry laughed and shook his head, his chin still on the top of her head, "she pesters."

"Right," he laughed and when Snow's footsteps honed in on their voices, Henry stepped behind her chair and out of her grasp so he could hang both arms around her shoulders and put his cheek alongside the top of her head. Just because he could. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted her when he went to find Emma. He had just been angry and was tired of her lies. But now the air had been cleared between them and they had made a silent pact to stop lying to one another.

He knew she wasn't telling the whole truth when it came to David but he let it be this time for he knew it was something he wouldn't understand yet. He believed her though when she said she didn't quite know why she wasn't handling it so well. It just wasn't the whole truth. He knew she had inklings of reasons and he certainly had some of his own. He wasn't stupid and he most certainly wasn't blind. There had been too many lingering looks between her and David while Snow and Emma were gone. Something had happened. He had ideas but he didn't know what the reality was. He wasn't about to confront her about it though. It wasn't his place and he still wasn't sure how he felt about it.

He wasn't as angry as he thought he should be though. A place in his heart sort of ached for his mother. It had been so long since anyone held any feelings toward her aside from the intense passion to lop her head off and now she had something else. But she couldn't chase after it because of the circumstances she had found it in. So she had to sit and watch. The longer he thought about it the deeper his frown fell with his tortured heart. It was all so grey. No black, no white, just muddled grey.

He didn't notice his lazy arms around her shoulders had tightened in to a firm hug until her hand lifted to gently rest on his forearm. It was concern, he could sense it in her plain as day but she didn't have time to address it before Snow walked in and for that he was rather grateful.

"Regina," she breathed in triumph when she laid eyes on her, "there you are."

"Here I am," she agreed plainly and rubbed her thumb over Henry's arm, making a mental note to see what was bothering him, "what do you need, Snow."

"I just wanted to know if you had made any progress?" She questioned as she slid in to the chair just askew from Regina's so she was beside her but could look her in the eye without having to turn her head too much.

"No. I told you I would tell you if I did."

"I know but...you all keep telling me that the poison is gone and I just want to know why he isn't waking up," she pleaded desperately with her face lined with confusion and worry. Regina simply stared at her, "please, Regina, I am going crazy."

Oh how the jealous and spiteful retorts begged to be spewed from her tongue. She only wished she could show her distress as Snow was. "I don't know why he hasn't woken up, Snow. Perhaps the dreamshade did damage that we cannot see even with this world's technology. I don't have any answers."

"Regina, I-"

"What if he's dreaming?" Henry piped up suddenly and quietly and Snow snapped her eyes to him while his mother turned her head ever so slightly to acknowledge she was listening.

"What do you mean, Henry?" Snow asked softly as she leaned forward in her seat. She would take any answer right about then.

"Well it has to be called dreamshade for a reason right? It could just as easily be called death weed or something. The 'dream' part had to come from somewhere."

"He makes a good point," Regina stated quietly and wondered why she hadn't come up with such a simple explanation herself.

"So he's not in a coma but just...sleeping?"

"Well it would explain why he is so stable," Regina shrugged a little with a slight shake of her head, "it is a very plausible explanation."

"What would he be dreaming about that is keeping his attention for so long?"

"We will have to ask him when he wakes up," Regina answered simply and Snow huffed solemnly. "It has only been three days since we put him in the hospital. These things take time. Now why don't you go back there. Make sure you are there when he wakes up."

Snow didn't need another hint. Regina was asking her to leave and despite her gentle tone, the woman still carried a great deal of demand in her voice. She was no longer welcome. So Snow nodded and stood but before she left she asked, "you will look in to this dream theory though, right?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," she breathed and Regina nodded once with Henry still resting the side of his face against the side of her head above her ear. With one final look at the pair, Snow left.

Once the front door had opened and closed, Regina let out a long exhale and closed the book in front of her. She didn't need to read it again now with this new theory, "when did you get so clever?"

"I have a good example to follow," he smirked and she laughed softly.

"You going to tell me what is bothering you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play coy," she scolded gently, her tone encouraging him to open up, "something is on your mind."

"Yeah..."

"What is it, sweetheart? Is it about David?" She prodded gently as she turned her head a little more and rubbed her thumb over his forearm.

"...Yeah..."

"Henry," she cooed softly and he let out a long breath which signalled his resolve giving way to her, "what is it?"

"I think you're in love with David," he answered answered quietly and immediately felt her go still. Not tense. Just still.

"...Oh..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! I am sorry for the wait! between dentist appointments and horses and travel planning I haven't had as much time to write as I had hoped for. But here we are! I hope you enjoy the update! I am starting the next one as soon as I will post this one :) please leave a review with your thoughts and requests if you have any! The hill shouting scene is an idea from a reader :) and I am sorry, Feca, but I do not remember your pen name lol they are so hard to keep track of after I talk in person with you guys. But thank you for the idea! Hope you enjoy it!**

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Regina walked in to her beloved stables to find David scowling at Ben. The grey gelding. The horse did nothing but watch him back with his head hanging out of his stall completely unbothered by David's squared and tense stance and hard scowl. He seemed to be lost in thought and whatever those thoughts were she doubted they were nice. So she slid in beside Ben's large head and leaned back against the post that his stall door hinged to. David's scowling attention merely switched from the horse to herself.

"I would say good morning but it doesn't appear as though yours is going particularly well," she smiled and he stared at her before he looked back to Ben and then back to her. And then he turned his back to her and walked to rearrange an already tidy line of tools hanging on the wall. Pitchfork, shovel, broom, hammer, a rasp, and various other things she didn't care to list.

"How was the party last night?"

"Boring."

"Hm."

"Mother had brought in several younger and more lower upperclass bachelors for me. Something that surprised me until I realized she was testing a new tactic. Getting me noticed and perhaps invited to the more upper upperclass parties where the kings or princes next in line to their dying father's throne would see me. It's all rather infuriating. And almost every dance partner I had last night was very...handsy," she noted plainly and smirked when the shovel hit the wall much louder than necessary as David hung it on a new hook. His muscles were tense and she was sure his jaw was clenched but he refused to turn around.

"You should come to one of these events. Dress you up a bit. I doubt mother would even think to recognize you. It would give me someone to actually talk to. I may even finally enjoy myself," she smiled and tilted her head when he ran out of things to rearrange and turned to face her with his lower back leaning against his work table. Scowling with his arms folded over his chest.

With her lips pursed in a new smirk, Regina pushed herself up off the stall and walked over to him across the stable's aisle. "Why are you so grumpy?" She teased gently when she stopped hardly six inches from him and watched his jaw clench at their proximity, "you were doing so well."

"I don't know what to do about you."

"Well we can talk it through if you like," she grinned as she inched just a little closer with an easy tilt of her head and her eyes down on the swath of his chest revealed by the open ties on his shirt.

"Stop it," he scorned sternly but quietly and instantly her eyes were on his and her smile disappeared.

"You nearly kissed me," she reminded him quietly but his stern voice was matched by her's and paired with stubbornness.

"You started it."

"That doesn't matter."

"It doesn't. It also doesn't change the fact that I stopped."

"You only stopped because Cora was coming."

"It would have been a mistake even if she hadn't been outside."

"Why?"

"You are..."

"Too young?"

"Yes."

"For who? For you? Or the grey king I will eventually be forced to marry?" She argued plainly and quietly and he paused. So she let that linger there and studied his bright blue eyes to try and decipher what he was thinking about. It was to no avail but she didn't stop trying, "do you trust me?"

"No," he answered simply and instantly there was a smile on her face as she reached forward and took his wrist in her fingers. He was reluctant to give it up but when she started stepping away from him, he did follow her. And eventually her hand did manage to find and hold his.

...

David had never been to this place before. But that was probably due to the fact he had never ridden this far from the manor itself. He was willing to admit that the long ride had been nice though. The steady gait of the grey gelding beneath him and the fresh air speeding past him was more than enough to settle the turmoil wreaking havoc inside him. Not enough to rid himself of it. But enough to settle it. The view didn't hurt either.

As he dismounted and allowed Ben to graze, his eyes were looking out at the stunning expanse of hills and forest. They were on top of a massive ridge with a steep slope on either side but you could gallop across the top of it for a good several minutes in either direction before you were met with the end. The view was spectacular and the wind pushed at his back with its attempts to convince him to try his luck with the steep drop in front of him. Perhaps he could make it down the side without breaking a limb. He was curious to see how the horses would make the climb back down the side they climbed.

It was times like these though that had him doubting he was in a dream. The grass was too green to be dreamt, as was the expanse of hills and forests ahead of him that caused his heart to pull toward them in longing. And the wind. He could feel it pushing him and tugging at his hair and shirt. Even the smell of the living greenery around them and tainting the wind was too real. So it was times like these where he questioned if he was dreaming. But he had to be...right?

"I used to come up here all the time. I haven't made the trip as frequently anymore because you have made things easier but every once in awhile I still make the ride."

"For the view?"

"To yell," she replied and he finally turned his head to look at her. It was a quizzical look and it made her want to laugh. She stayed right beside him and resorted to a small shrug and a smile before she straightened her neck and looked out at the forest. If you looked hard enough you could see Leopold's castle embedded in the hillside. But only if you looked hard enough. "I never really had anyone to talk to before you came around. I learned rather quickly that just holding everything in simply made me incredibly unstable emotionally. So one day I went for a ride. Rocinante and I found this ridge and I love the feeling of her power beneath me. I find it therapeutic and admirable. So I pointed her to the hill and she didn't shy away.

When we reached the top I was stilled by the view. But once I got over that I quickly found myself screaming at it until I was exhausted. I did, however, run out of things to say. I felt better. And you, stableboy, are brewing a storm that needs to be let out before it breaks you," she told him gently and caught his eye with a kind smile as he stared at her with that scowl of his. She missed his smile.

"So," she nodded once and then looked back out at the view before them.

David didn't quite know what to make of this woman. At all. She was so different from the Regina he knew. So different. What he did know though was that he wasn't about to start shouting his problems aloud in front of her. He was startled in to a laugh though when she started yelling first.

"I want my mother dead!" She shouted and then smiled just a little for just a moment when she heard David laugh under his breath beside her, "I love her even when I know I shouldn't! But I will never be free until she is dead!"

Alright. Perhaps it did seem therapeutic. So he did take a deep breath when she looked at him expectantly and upon his exhale he shouted out at the trees, "I am stuck in a world made by my subconscious! But I don't even know anymore if this is a dream or if this is real!"

"My entire life revolves around becoming queen when all I want to do is find true love!"

"I found true love and I still slept with the enemy! I still kissed her every chance I got and I never want to stop!"

"If I have to attend one more tea party with my critical sociopath of a mother I will smash the damn teapot on the floor!" She yelled but laughed and David laughed with her. Granted his problems were more worth screaming about, but she hadn't accumulated enough to scream about recently. Not with him so close by and willing to listen to her before things reached the screaming point. She just wished he would talk to her before things were bottled to tightly in himself. So she offered what she could so he would keep shouting and let it all out.

"I am finally living the quiet life I have always wanted but I am living it alone! And that is not what I want! I can't win! It is infuriating!"

"I need to run away! But my mother nearly kills me every time I try!"

"I don't know if the family I had was ever real!"

"I want a family! The one I have does not do what a family should!"

"I felt moments of peace and relief when my wife and daughter disappeared because it meant I didn't have to worry about them catching my treasured moments with the queen!"

"I hate that I am not allowed to love!"

"I hate that I cannot stay loyal to one love!"

"I want my father to be strong! I want him to protect me! It that not what a father is supposed to do?!"

"I want to kill Cora for you!" He shouted furiously. A sudden rage just boiling under his skin as his jaw clenched and her head snapped to him. But his eyes stayed focused ahead of him, "the way she treats you is unacceptable and it is infuriating! I know what happens next! I know what happens to you! I never understood why my wife wanted you alive but now I know! I know and I hate that it pulls me even further away from her when it should pull me closer! It should unite us but it only makes me want to hold her and fix her and love her! But I don't even know if that was real! I don't know what is happening to me! I don't know anything! I just want to save you! Because I know I can! I know I can save you because I know what happens to you! I know what happens and I can stop it!"

"David-"

"I can stop it!" He roared as he reared his head at her only to soften immediately at the way she didn't so much as flinch. Didn't even blink. She simply remained soft and still and surprisingly empathetic. He didn't realize he was crying until he tried to laugh and the sound caught in his throat and a couple tears dropped to his cheeks as his eyes fell to the ground.

Regina stood there for a few moments longer, giving him time to process what he had just brought to the surface. She gave him time and then she took half a step closer to him and when he leaned ever so slightly toward her in response, she carefully stepped up to him.

He allowed her to get close to him but he was too confused and raw and proud to voice such a desire aloud. But she interpreted his body language and got close to him and once she was he started to wonder what it was going to accomplish. Having her close just had his conflicts screaming between his mind and heart. He knew she wasn't the Regina he knew, she wasn't the queen he had come to love and adore. She was different and yet he couldn't deny he was falling for her just as quickly as he had fallen for his queen once she let him see her.

They were left standing there before one another looking everywhere over one other but never looking each other in the eye. Only inches apart. Barely even that. And then her eyes settled on his mouth. His kind mouth that she wished would smile more than it would scowl. The kind mouth she so desperately wished would find hers in a kiss. "I am falling in love with a man who doesn't care," she confessed under her breath. A breath that caught in her chest the moment his fingers made contact with her skin on her neck.

"I do care," he whispered as he watched his fingers trail up her neck. So soft and gentle they were almost hovering.

"Not in the way I want."

He didn't have anything to say to that. His fingers simply travelled higher and curled around her jaw and then the nape of her neck. Then his thumb rubbed softly over her top lip where a scar was waiting to be born. "I can't love you," he whispered and frowned when she made herself so small.

"Why?"

Her voice was just a whisper but it broke him all the same, "because I am in love with the Evil Queen."

"You once loved your wife."

"There is a difference."

"What is it?"

"You make me love her more."

...

He hadn't seen her for days since that trip to the hill. It seemed she new his schedule and habits better than he thought she did. She still spent all of her free time in the stables; he could tell by the groomed sweat marks on Rocinante or her combed mane and tail or even her cleaned and oiled tack. But he never saw or heard from Regina. She was avoiding him and he didn't blame her. She had told him she loved him and he told her he loved someone else. She had every reason to avoid him.

It didn't mean he didn't miss her though.

So that morning he changed his routine. He fed the horses early and quickly cleaned their stalls. It was easy and quick for Cora had taken the two black mares to pull her carriage which left only Rocinante and Ben to tend to. It cut his chore time in half. He spent the extra time tacking up both Rocinante and Ben and when Regina came in to the stables he was waiting for her with a set of reins in each hand.

She bounced to a halt in front of him, startled and caught completely off guard by the fact that he was waiting for her. But her startled expression didn't last long and soon fell in to mild irritation and blatant wariness. She didn't so much as dare take a step closer and instead lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes ever so slightly.

"What are you doing?"

"You are avoiding me," he replied simply and she rocked her head to the side and then back up straight.

"Can you blame me?"

"No," he shook his head and she looked him up and down, "I absolutely cannot."

"...What are you doing?"

"Cora is gone for the week. Perhaps even a day or two longer depending on how things move along, but she will be gone at least a week. I am going on a trip in her absence and I would very much enjoy your company," he told her with a gentle plea to his tone. He really did miss her and seeing her again only revealed how much he had missed her. He was suddenly desperate for her to come with him.

"I can't just leave, David," she argued despite her wanderlust chanting and begging her to accept his offer. She was too stubborn for that, "I have things I need to do here."

"Things like practicing tea time?" He teased and she pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. She was upset with him and he wasn't surprised that she denied his request. However he also knew that she was itching to accept. So he stepped forward and Rocinante stepped with him so he could hand Regina her reins, "I talked to your father. He is under the impression that you are going to be joining me on this trek. He said it would be good for you to get away for awhile," he nodded and her expression softened in to longing as her eyes fell to the reins in his hand.

"Cora will never know you escaped this prison of hers," he told her gently and watched her waver and be tempted. It took perhaps a minute or so for her to take the reins from him and he smiled when she did.

"...What if she does find out?"

"Then I will take the full blame upon myself."

"I couldn't do that to you."

"You can. And should it come down to it, you will," he nodded and she huffed but it was worry in her eyes. Worry and fear instead of frustration. So he took a couple more steps forward so he could place the side of his finger beneath her jaw and gently run his thumb along her cheekbone, "it will be fine. Now mount up. Your father is waiting outside the manor to wave goodbye," he smiled and finally earned himself a smile from those soft pink lips when the mischief returned to those eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**New chapter! Yay! Lol! I don't really have anything to say tonight so enjoy the update! And please leave a review :) because you guys are awesome and there would be no stories without you!**

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"Henry-"

"Come on, you've made it this far."

"And I am still not sure how you managed convince me to get here," she grumbled irritably as she stared at the closed door in front of her.

"My manipulation skills are on point," he smirked and she sighed. He let her stand there for a moment or two before he gave her a small and encouraging push toward the door, his hand lingering on her lower back as she reluctantly stepped forward.

"Go see him. It's alright," he nodded and she turned her head to look at him with big vulnerable eyes, "I'll keep watch and make sure no one comes in. I'll tell them you are using some complicated moonlight spell and it requires every bit of your concentration. And that unless they want the wrath of the Evil Queen unleashed upon them, they should leave. Plus there are no windows. No one will see what you're doing in there. Not even me," he smiled and she looked back and forth between his eyes looking for something to argue. She soon caved though and with a deep breath she turned her gaze back to the door and carefully reached forward and pushed down on the handle.

She didn't really realize she was holding her breath until the door clicked shut behind her. It came out in a big whoosh as she leaned back in to the door and stared at David's still body on the bed. A small smile did tug on the corner of her mouth though when she heard Henry slide to the floor on the other side of the door. When had this happened? When had she earned her place as his partner in his world of code name operations?

Slowly she pushed herself up from the door and carefully began walking toward the hospital bed, her heels clicking slowly and quietly on the cold linoleum. He looked so peaceful. She had never been there by herself with him. Snow had always been there or one of the nursing staff or even Whale. She was never by herself and she didn't quite know what to do. She did manage to slide a chair closer to the side of the bed though and as she sat down, she carefully lifted his hand from his side.

Her fingers gently curled around his arm and slid up to his wrist as she intertwined five of her fingers with his and then brought his knuckles to her lips. Every movement was slow and gentle and careful, afraid that he would wake up at any moment and rip his hand from her grasp. At least he would be awake.

But he didn't move and she pressed her eyes shut as she squeezed his fingers between hers. His knuckles were warm and hard against her lips and when she opened her eyes she hated that her vision was partially blurred by tears. "I miss you," she whispered on an unintentionally sharp exhale and lowered their entwined hands to the side of her neck so she could curl her head around them and watch his face for any movement. There was nothing. Only the steady rise and fall of his chest with every sleeping breath and the slow and even pulse in his wrist against her fingertips.

 **David**

The first day of their journey had been...difficult. It was almost awkward really. Neither of them really knew what to say to one another given what they knew about each other. But then day two rolled around and it was like nothing had ever happened. Everything was easy again. They were laughing and telling stories and yet again he had forgotten to keep tabs on his dream theory. He was actually beginning to forget about it completely. It just made everything easier when he didn't have to worry about waking up.

He didn't really know where he was going. He knew his destination but he didn't know how to find it. Which was another reason he had wanted Regina's company. She could at least tell him how to get to the town he needed. But that was just another excuse. He could have just as easily gone back to the bakery and asked Molly which direction he needed to travel in.

Even still his reasons for bringing Regina along simply remained to be that he just wanted to. It didn't matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise.

She kept getting closer though. Slowly and subtly she kept managing to get closer to him and it was driving him crazy. It was practically impossible to keep his thoughts from drifting to her in ways that were far from PG. Especially when she managed to sneak in a touch or her scent would waft to his nose. It was so hard to keep his hands to himself. And she slept so peacefully and beautifully and just out of arms reach. He wanted nothing more than to pull her in to him and hold her as he slept. It had been too long since he had held Regina. He still told her to back off though despite what he truly wanted. And she listened. For the most part.

"Stop it," he scolded himself quietly and turned the rabbit on its skewer over the crackling fire.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing," he dismissed and she watched him for a moment longer before shrugging it off and continuing on with what she was doing. She was so young too. But that just _didn't_ show. He only remembered it when he thought about where he was in the timeline. Her voice wasn't as gravelly either...he missed that.

"I am going to go and gather some more firewood. It is getting cold," she told him simply as she used his shoulder as a brace to help her stand. She wasn't oblivious to the way his eyes focused on her hand and didn't look away. But she pretended not to notice and dragged her hand lightly across the back of his shoulders and neck as she walked behind him. She knew it drove him mad, she knew it clouded his thoughts, she knew it cracked his walls, and it was exactly why she had done it. So with a light smirk and a fluttery heart, she walked in to the trees to gather more wood.

With a deep breath and a roll of his shoulders to rid himself of the lingering shivers her touch caused, David stared adamantly back at their dinner. He honestly didn't know how much longer his resolve was going to last. If she kept going at this rate, pushing every one of his buttons possible in just the right order, he wasn't going to last long at all. He was going to go down fighting though.

"David."

His eyes snapped up to her the moment her voice was heard. It was unnaturally calm and when he saw the blade against her throat glint in he firelight he had leapt to his feet. "What do you want," he asked quickly and Regina's hands remained up in surrender but her posture was relatively relaxed given the sharp steel against her throat in the hand of the gruff man behind her holding her hostage.

"Your money and provisions."

"We aren't carrying any money and our provisions are hunted and gathered as we need them."

"I find that hard to believe," the thief grinned as he turned his head to get a better look at the pretty noble.

"I told her not to bring anything lest we run in to a band of thieves such as yourselves," David informed him simply but warily as he stepped closer, "she obeyed."

"And what makes you think there is more than just me?"

"I am not a fool," David replied sharply and the man laughed while Regina remained calm and relaxed. Albeit entirely irritated and mildly nervous, but calm and relaxed all the same.

"It would appear that way. Be that as it may, you are grossly outnumbered and entirely unarmed," he grinned and the man by the fire didn't bat an eye. Not until he tucked his girl's hair behind her ear to better expose her throat to his knife. Only then did the David fellow show his rage. "The horses then. If you haven't anything of any worth we shall take the horses," he bargained and felt the woman go a little more tense in his grasp.

"No."

"You are not in a _particularly_ good place to be denying me, _David_ ," the thief grinned with a rock of his head and slid the side of his blade against the brunette's throat as a reminder.

"I do not bargain with thieves," David snarled as he stalked up to the intruder. He was stopped not three strides from the head thief when a sword was placed against his own throat. He looked to the source on his left and with a quick glance to size the second man up, David swung his arm hard and fast so his fist connected with his nose. There was an uproar in seconds that mixed with Regina's startled yelp.

By the time the next man made it to him from his hiding place in the bushes, David had already snatched the sword from the victim of his fist and was quickly turning around to slice the running man down across his chest from his shoulder to his opposite hip. Needless to say, without his armour, the man was completely incapacitated.

There were two more men that charged him. One promptly fell victim to a sword through his gut but the other was a little more trying on his patience. The enraged thief suffered a slash across the cheek and thigh but it didn't stop him. Irritated, David fought harder. When the man tried to hit him with the hilt of his sword, David dodged it and quickly reciprocated with the same gesture only he was successful and there was a sickening crunching noise when his hilt hit the unshaven man's jaw. There was a cry of pain after that and the man went even more wild. He had David dodging and blocking and absolutely furious before he succeeded in slicing open his other thigh as well. It seemed that time he cut enough muscle to cause excruciating pain every time the mad man tried to stand. So he stayed down.

The last man stayed lingering in the shadows. Poised to attack but nowhere near convinced he should attempt to follow through. Smart lad.

"Take your men and leave us be," David demanded shortly and sternly leaving no room for argument as he pointed his sword to the man still holding Regina hostage. She looked surprised now more than anything else. Which he supposed was fair. Her quiet stableboy just severely injured four men without batting an eye. Three of them were likely going to die. Or all of them from infection at the very least if they didn't have the proper supplies.

It only took a moment or two of contemplation from the aged thief before he released Regina. She didn't step away from him. She was too proud for that. She simply turned her head and glowered at him and he quickly responded with backing away before he found himself with a bloody nose from her fist. Between himself and the man that decided not to attack, they dragged their bloody and crying men back to where they came from and the man that suffered the first punch hurriedly stumbled after them with his hands over his mouth and nose.

Both he and Regina watched them leave without speaking a word. They waited until they were out of sight and out of earshot before they even moved from where they stood. "Well...we have a sword now," David stated in disinterest as he stabbed it in to the soil and returned to the fire. Much to his relief, the interruption hadn't resulted in him burning their dinner. It was just a little crispy on the one side.

"Thank you," she told him quietly as she joined him beside the fire.

"You're welcome," he replied simply and made himself focus solely on the rabbit over the fire because he knew if he looked her in the eye all hell would break loose and he would have her sweaty and panting beneath him in a matter of moments. So he stared at their dinner and tried so hard to ignore how close she was sitting beside him.

His gaze faltered though the moment her hands found his forearm and turned it over. It fell to her hands and his heart skipped and jumped and raced while his belly grew warm and his breath pushed slowly out through his nose. Even the sight of his fresh blood soaking his cut sleeve didn't pull his focus away from how she made him feel. He didn't even notice the pain.

"You are hurt."

"I am fine."

She frowned at him for that but he didn't seem fazed. He didn't so much as flinch until she poured cold water over it. Then he hissed and she shook her head as she stretched to reach for their pack of medical supplies. Something David had packed for "just in case" moments such as this. It was behind him so she stretched in to him and once her fingers took hold of the leather she realized where she was. And she paused. She paused because her chest was pressed to his shoulder and his breath was skimming down the side of her neck as he carefully turned his face in to her hair and neck. She paused because it felt too _good_ to leave.

She smelled divine. He could feel the goosebumps raise her skin as his nose trailed lower with the dipping of his head. She was intoxicating and brought a lovely cloud in to his mind that blocked any and all reason. As she turned her face in to the nook of his neck, he settled with his nose pressed against the hollow of her throat where it met with her collar bone and he didn't know her shirt was silk until his fingers lifted to settle on her ribs. His injured arm stayed in his lap but the other hand slowly started to roam.

Her breath quivered against his skin with another course of shivers and it had his mind going even hazier as the ivory matte silk offered such little resistance between his fingers and her skin. It was a loose shirt much like his own. Baggy sleeves, cinched wrists, v neck, tucked in to her black leather pants, her hair left down.

"David," she breathed and the bridge of his nose pressed just a little firmer in to her throat. She so desperately wanted to kiss him. Every fibre in her body screamed for it as though she was drowning and he was her breath of air. She wanted to. She wanted to so badly. But she knew it was a fragile topic. She didn't want to push him away again, she didn't want to move too fast and lose him all together because while she was ready to dive in head first, he was struggling to deal with the concept of it at all. It was the hardest decision to follow through with when his lips were so close to hers, "you are bleeding. And burning our dinner."

He knew what she was doing. She was being clever but not for his benefit. Or perhaps it was for his benefit too and he was just being too stubborn to accept it. Either way she was slowing things down. He knew very well that she wanted it all right then and that it was killing her to stop. But he was grateful for it for he was completely lost in her and couldn't stop himself. He also knew he was going to pay for this in the end. He was never going to settle down until he gave in to her. And he knew she knew that. Otherwise she wouldn't be pulling back.

As much as he didn't want to, he did let her sit back up and put their medical pouch beside her. Neither one of them looked at each other. Their gaze simply stayed on his arm while she worked. It wasn't a deep cut by any means. It was just enough to break the skin but infection was infection no matter how small the wound. So he let her clean and dress his arm and if he did succumb to sleeping with her in his arms that night it was only to be certain that she stayed warm and that no thief would return in the night and try to take her. Only for that.

 **Regina**

Snow had been visiting David every morning and this morning was no different. She walked her same path to David's room, barely watching where she was going as she skimmed through the school's emails on her phone with her coffee in her other hand. The only thing that was different about this morning was that the door to David's room was barricaded by four waiting room chairs. The only thing that made it even more odd was that Henry was stretched across them sound asleep with a pillow and blanket he was either given to him or snagged from an empty hospital bed.

It had her steps slowing to a halt as she smiled quizzically down at him and then with a light laugh of dismissal she looked to the sign on the door. It was Henry's writing, there was no question, she had been his teacher for many years after all.

 _Do not enter!_

 _Moon spell is being performed and cannot be interrupted._

 _Only enter if you wish to have your head chewed off by the queen._

It had Snow smiling even wider as she lifted her to-go cup to her lips in an attempt to keep the laughter at bay so as not to wake Henry just yet. She was absolutely thrilled to see Henry and Regina getting along like this again. Absolutely delighted.

Pushing her phone in to her pocket, Snow crouched down in front of Henry's face and gently traced his temple and tucked his hair behind his ear to stir him awake, "Henry," she called gently and his face scrunched in displeasure at being pulled to the waking world, "you have to move the chairs out of the way."

"Mom is doing a special moon spell. You can't go in," he grumbled sleepily as he stretched and sucked in a deep breath to fill his lungs.

"It's morning, honey," Snow smiled and Henry held that breath for a moment before he let it out in one big huff out his nose and released his stretch.

"Oh."

"Can I sneak past you before you get up and put the chairs back?"

"...I don't know what mom is doing in there or if she's done yet."

"I am sure I can survive the wrath of the Evil Queen one more time," she teased and Henry gave a sleepy laugh.

"I warned you."

"You did indeed," she smiled and then pressed a kiss to his forehead before she stood up and then turned the handle and pushed open the door to David's room. Careful not to step on Henry, Snow stepped up, on, and over the chairs without spilling a drop of her coffee and what she found on the other side warmed her heart.

Regina was asleep in the chair next to David's bed. Her head was on his arm and her fingers were entangled with his. She didn't know exactly what had Regina so inclined to help but she did know that Regina and David had grown closer while she and Emma were stuck in the Enchanted Forest. Closer in their own odd little way. They were still bitter toward one another and bickered every chance they got but there was no longer any hostility. Not a stitch.

Snow suspected Regina missed him. She knew Regina would never admit it but Snow didn't need her to admit it. Whatever friendship the pair of them had forged, Regina missed having him around. Snow found it rather endearing. She always knew that she and David would get along once they stopped fighting. However begrudging that fondness may be.

Silently Snow placed her coffee on the table next to the bed and proceeded to walk around the foot of the bed to take the extra blanket from David's feet to carefully drape it around Regina's sleeping shoulders. There was an art to preventing the waking of a sleeping Evil Queen and Snow had managed to successfully pull it off as she let go of the blanket and hovered in silence for a moment to assure she was still sleeping. Regina didn't so much as skip a breath.

Still silent, Snow walked back around Regina and carefully sat down at the edge of the bed by David's feet and looked down at the sleeping woman beside her. They had spent so many years fighting and so much blood had been shed because of their feud and now here they were. One working herself to the bone to save the husband that wasn't hers and the other going around behind her making sure everything went smoothly and that she slept comfortably.

Never would she have imagined them in such a situation. The both of them cared for each other now. It was perfect. Snow wouldn't trade it for the world. She adored Regina and always had. It had been a long time since she had seen her so content and peaceful. A long long time.

Unfortunately it was disturbed by an untimely screech of one of Henry's chairs in the hallway. In an instant Regina's eyes were open and she was sitting up straight. Confused and startled and still half asleep, but functioning and no longer peaceful. "Morning," Snow greeted kindly and Regina looked at her in confusion before looking around at her surroundings with a heavy frown. Snow found it even more endearing and couldn't help the smile pulling at her lips.

"What time is it?"

"Um," Snow drew out quietly as she lifted her wrist to look at her watch, "quarter to nine," she replied and wasn't given anything in return except for an odd glance at the blanket around her shoulders, "you looked like you could use it," she shrugged and Regina looked back at her with only her eyes. Her head stayed turned where it was when she was looking at the blanket on her shoulder but her eyes now stared at her as though she was a puzzle she couldn't solve.

Regina stared at her like that for a few seconds longer and Snow's smile only seemed to grow. She was sleepy and confused and didn't quite recall what had happened last night. She didn't remember falling asleep, she didn't even remember feeling tired. And where was Henry? Her gaze only fell when the movement of her hands was restricted. What she saw caused her heart to jolt in both a soothing warmth and a cold panic because Snow had seen. But she was still too innocent to see what was really going on. It was blatant in the way the girl still cared for her and smiled at her like that. Despite the fact another woman had fallen asleep at her husbands side with his hand clasped between both of hers.

But really what reason would she have to suspect anything. Why on earth would the darling Snow White suspect that the Evil Queen had fallen for her dear Prince Charming. It was a ridiculous notion. But it was true.

Suddenly she realized that she had been staring at David's hand between hers for too long and the added motion of her thumb rubbing mindlessly over his had her body tensing in preparation to stand. She was stopped though by Snow's voice and the gentle and supportive touch of her toe against the side of her thigh.

"He'll wake up, Regina," she assured with a gentle smile for she already knew that the topic of letting anyone close was a touchy one to say the least. Especially when it came to Regina, "he'll be fine. You said so yourself. He is only sleeping."

Regina simply nodded and carefully disentangled her fingers from David's as she stood and avoided looking Snow in the eye. It drove her mad how oblivious the girl was to how she felt. It wasn't her fault though. Regina hid them on purpose and she had mastered her skills long ago. Henry was different though. She couldn't seem to hide a thing from him.

Snow took the blanket from Regina when she pulled it off her shoulders and then laid it back on the bed over David's legs as she watched Regina comb her fingers through her sleep tousled hair. And then Regina walked away without a word. It had Snow smiling once more at her finicky step mother and as she slid off the bed and on to her feet she called at her gently, "goodbye, Regina."

Regina paused for a moment to look over her shoulder and Snow gave her that bright and playful smile as she sat in the chair she had unintentionally slept in. "Goodbye, Snow," she replied simply and then continued on her way out of the room. Before she left though, her hand settled on the doorframe beside her shoulder and she turned to look back and found Snow picking up David's hand for herself.

Henry knew that look and knew it well. It was her look of jealousy fuelled rage. It was subtle because she dutifully worked on calming her temper every day. She was strict with herself but every once in awhile it slipped from her control and that was only because it was more potent than the rest of her triggers. He didn't need to peek in to the room to know that Snow was getting close to David.

He could tell by the way his mother's mouth curved down ever so slightly and the way her lips went tight and her jaw pushed forward just a hair with the clenching of her teeth to keep her tongue caged. He could tell by the way her grip tightened around the doorframe and caused her empty hand to ball in to a fist at her side. He could tell by the way her forehead fell taut but lined at the same time. They were all such small and unnoticeable little things but he knew his mother. He spent years studying her to prove she was the Evil Queen. Now he used what he had learned to soothe her and love her and help her.

The pause at the door was truly only a pause. And when she turned her head away she was looking him straight in the eye and the broken rage and jealousy was still potent on her expression. Until it softened in to heartache and jealousy. He was not yet rooting for her to be happy with David but he had quickly accepted his mother's feelings toward David as the truth. She loved him and there was nothing Henry could do to stop it or change it. So he accepted it and supported her. Even if he didn't agree, it didn't matter. It wasn't his heart.

So he gave her a sympathetic and understanding smile and when her body slumped in release, he reached forward in a gesture to take her hand and she reached her hand to meet his and the pair of them easily entwined their fingers and started walking to the car side by side.


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright my people! The countdown begins! We've got this chapter, the next chapter, and on that long awaited eighth chapter you will finally get your kiss ;) And the heavens will sing! Hahahahaha! I honestly cannot wait and if I could fit it in this chapter or the next, I would. But it is unfortunately set in stone lol so from chapter eight and on, things are going to pick up ;)**

 **Also the rating is going to change to M. Not sure when exaaactly (after chapter 8 though) but this is my official announcement to announce that this story is going to get real dirty real fast ;) I am rather certain that none of you are going to complain about that lol! So with that announcement, I will let you read. Enjoy! Please leave a review!**

* * *

The drive home had been silent. Henry had allowed it because he knew she was on the very brink of exploding and they needed to arrive home safely and in one piece. However, as soon as she had parked the car in the driveway and pulled the key from the ignition...

They were still silent but neither one of them moved to get out of the car. He was watching her carefully as her grip slowly tightened around the steering wheel to the fullest extent of her strength. Even though he had been watching her he still jumped when she suddenly slammed her palms against the wheel and pressed her eyes shut as tight as possible. The breath that she pushed through her nose was one that made his heart sink and his mouth fall in to a frown.

It was shaky and sad and it made him sad. He wanted nothing more right then than to just give her a hug and hold her until she was happy again. "You know that you don't have to hide from me," he told her softly and she nodded and then whispered.

"I know."

"Good," he replied softly and watched as she slowly started to gather her bearings and release the tension from her body.

"I am sorry I made you sleep in the hall."

"It's okay. Those chairs were actually super comfy. But since you're feeling bad, can you make your awesome porridge with blueberries?" He smiled and she shook her head with a small breath of laughter.

"Yes. I think I can handle that."

"And then I want to have a nap with you in your bed so you don't feel so alone," he told her and her eyes fell shut once again with the tired and miserable bow of her head.

...

"How long have you loved him?"

"...A long time," she answered softly as he continued to bend and manipulate her fingers as he pleased.

"Like...Enchanted Forest long?" He asked gently and curiously.

"No. No not that long," she answered just as softly with a single and subtle shake of her head. They were laying on their sides in her bed beneath the blankets. Still fully clothed aside from their shoes discarded at the front door, their ankles loosely tangled, their hands together between their chests, and their heads resting against one another. The curve of his forehead fit so perfectly against the curve of her brow and the bridge of her nose. She had always loved that. He was her little boy and she loved him so much and she had missed these quiet times with him.

"When did it start?"

"...I...tried to wedge myself between him and Snow while the curse was still intact. It ended up taking a very different turn than I had intended and since then...I just haven't been able to forget it like I had hoped I could."

"...And David?"

"I don't know," she answered quietly with a small smile that was more frown than anything else.

"But you want him to love you back," he surmised softly and it really was more a statement than a question. Of course she wanted him to love her back. Her whole motivation behind anything was driven by love. Whether it was terrorizing and killing the masses or simply making someone breakfast. It was always love that fuelled her. He was answered by silence but really that was answer enough.

 **David**

She was instantly pissed the moment he placed the book on her head. Absolutely livid. He truly couldn't help but press his lips in to a smile when he stepped around her and caught sight of the extent of her lividity.

"Is this a joke?" She snapped harshly and David ignored her tone and looked her up and down and then nodded in approval.

"No. It is practice."

"You know how much I despise these games," she snarled bitterly but David was completely unfazed as he kicked a long stick up to his hand and took a moment to inspect it.

"You and I both know that Cora will be able to tell if you haven't kept up with your truly ridiculous 'lady lessons'," he paused for a moment to swat her hand away with the stick when she tried to take the balanced book off her head. He was answered with an even more deadly glare and a clenched and crossed jaw, "so I am incorporating them in to my own lessons for you."

"And what is it that you are going to teach me?" She snarled through a tight jaw and still he was entirely unbothered by her spitting venom. Then he flipped his long stick over in his hand and extended it for her to take. She simply glanced at it in annoyance and then glowered back up at him.

"You wished to learn to use a sword," he told her and she blinked and softened her bitter expression and aggressive posture, "balance and posture are important in such an activity."

"The book is demeaning."

"Yes. When your mother uses it. I am not your mother however," he nodded and pulled a second book from the waist of his pants behind his back. A begrudging smile pulled at those perfect pink lips the moment he placed it on his own head, "I will suffer with you," he smirked and after a moment she did give in to a laugh and snatched his offered stick from him. It had him grinning and laughing with her under his breath as he kicked up a second stick from the forest floor, opting out of using the actual sword so he didn't cut her stick in pieces.

"Shall we begin?"

"I do hope you realize this isn't making me love you any less," she told him with a gentle laugh lacing her words and a hopeless smile curving her closed lips.

"I know," he smiled softly and she continued to look at him with an adoration he wished she wouldn't show him. Only because it made him want to kiss her. "Now," he changed the subject abruptly with his tone but she still watched him with the same look on her face as he demonstrated the proper position and posture without letting his book slip off his head, "footwork is where it all starts."

 **Regina**

She was brought from her reading when the paperwork started moving away from her on its own accord. With a confused frown and furrow of her brow she pressed her fingertips to the paper to keep it still but it kept moving. Confused, she looked up with a frown and blinked at who had managed to sneak in to her office unnoticed.

"You are very easy to confuse sometimes," Tink teased with a small smile as she let go of the small stack of paperwork. Regina merely sighed and relaxed her face as she sat back in her chair and took her time putting the lid on her shiny ebony pen.

"What do you need, Tink?" She asked quietly, bored and uninterested. Not annoyed though. She was just feeling particularly lonely today. Especially after having spent the majority of the morning with Henry in her arms. She had sent him to school for the afternoon. A distraction for bother him and herself.

"Just checking up on you."

"I don't need checking up on."

"Sure you do. Everybody does," Tink smiled and Regina finished putting the lid on her pen with a sharp click. That was just the sound though. The queen turned mayor was still quiet and relaxed and looking particularly broody. And alone.

"I'm fine," she insisted but there was no commitment to her voice as she stretched her arm forward and carefully placed her pen on her desk.

"Right. So we are just going to ignore the pink elephant in the room then," she pressed and Regina stared back at her with calm but calculating eyes. She was thinking and Tink was patient and kind.

"...Yes," she answered quietly and after a moment, Tink nodded slightly and Regina mirrored it.

Alright. For now they would ignore it. "Does Henry know?" She asked quietly and Regina nodded and seemed to be regretting the fact she had placed her pen on her desk and had nothing to fiddle with.

"Yes. He does."

"How did he take it?"

"We are getting _awfully_ close to that pink elephant," Regina warned quietly and Tink frowned at her. The silence grew tight between them. It wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, it was just there and the tension could be plucked like a harp. But again it wasn't uncomfortable. She didn't really have a word to describe it. Tink was quiet and calm and not just in the way she was sitting or the way she kept her mouth shut. Her entire demeanour and spirit was calm and just...quiet. Serene even. It was so welcoming and soon enough Regina did find herself giving in to her friend's gentle call of support and trust.

"He is kind to me," she caved softly, her words slow and her voice quiet and low as her eyes fell to her fingers in her lap.

"As a man should be," Tink replied just as softly, knowing that the subject had changed from Henry to David without needing to hear a name.

"Even when we fought...I knew if it came down to it he would always come when I needed him. Or...wanted him..."

"It is okay to love him, Regina," she assured gently but Regina shook her head slowly and kept her eyes down.

"No it's not," she breathed while her head continued to slowly shake, "I put myself in a place I had no business being in. I made a mess. I confused a man who was and still should be loyal to his loving wife, I threw myself in to his head without a care as to what would happen to him. I made him lie to his wife. I made him question his character and his honour. I hurt him. This isn't something he will ever be able to forget or ignore, it will fester in him, it will cause tension, and it will cause him stress. His wife will never know why and if she does find out or is told then she too will suffer. I had intended to hurt her, I had intended to break them apart, but I did not stop to think that perhaps I didn't _want_ to do that. That perhaps seducing Prince Charming would grief me as well. That perhaps I truly didn't want to cause anymore pain to those around me. I was selfish and neglectful. And yet I cannot bring myself to stop. I want to keep pushing until he is mine. I know it is wrong but I want him to love me. I want him to wake up and choose...me..."

Tinkerbell frowned even deeper at her friend's quiet confession. She understood and on some accounts she did agree...but not on all of them, "you cannot control your heart, Regina. It follows what it wishes whether you allow it to or not. Whether you agree or not. You may have created a mess but perhaps it was necessary to find what everyone truly wants. What everyone truly needs."

"Loving him is wrong, Tink."

"Perhaps now. But what about later? What about when he decides he loves you?"

"He is married and is in love with his wife. I have no business loving him."

"Perhaps not. But the fact remains that you do," she stated gently and Regina looked up at her with her jaw crossed with her miserable thoughts, "so...we will work with it. And when David wakes up we will work with what happens then too. Okay?"

"...Okay."

"Good," she nodded and Regina's eyes fell down to her hands again, "you hungry?"

"Yes."

"Want to go have lunch?" She offered and Regina looked up at her again, arguing silently with herself over her stubbornness and tendency to hold grudges and then her desire to have company.

"I do," she conceded and felt her heart lift just a little higher when Tink smiled. She may have even found herself smiling just a little in return.

 **David**

"So," Regina started as Rocinante stepped over a log and Ben stepped around it, "your mother."

"What about her?"

"Is she going to recognize you?"

"I hope not."

"If she does then that means your whole little dream theory would be incorrect, right?" She smirked a little, still convinced he had hit his head a little too hard at some point in his life.

"Right."

"So you are hoping that when we get to her you are going to have to explain this wild theory of yours to her and try to convince her that she is your mother."

"Yes."

"And what if she truly is a total stranger and it is revealed that you are just simply crazy?" She teased but he didn't appear to find it funny.

"She isn't a stranger."

"And what happens if she does know you and calls you by name? What happens if a younger you doesn't exist in her life and you are the only one she knows and your other life was the one that was dreamt, dear Sir," she smirked and he laughed but it wasn't exactly amusement. It was tainted with stress and worry that that was exactly what was going to happen.

"I don't know," he shook his head and took a deep breath, "I really just...don't know," she laughed anxiously under his breath.

"Hm...How far are we?"

"Not far at all. Just through those trees ahead there is a meadow and it belongs to us. The house is in the middle of it."

"So...half hour at a walk? Give or take."

"Yeah about that," he agreed and she nodded. A couple steps later her voice was heard again.

"And at a gallop?"

He smirked at that. He was helpless against it and when he looked at her she was smirking right back, "what are you proposing?"

"I am proposing that I am starving and I can charm anyone, stranger or not, to cook us up a delicious meal," she smirked and David breathed a laugh as he grinned.

"And the first one there?"

"Well there is always a prize for the winner," she grinned and he shook his head with another laugh, "what do you want?"

"There is nothing I want."

"Oh-! That is-! No! There is always something!" She insisted with a rich laugh and he shook his head once more.

"Alright, there is nothing I _can_ have."

"You can have anything. If you manage to win against me you will deserve it," she smirked and he laughed and continued to shake his head.

"The things I want I cannot have only once, I am afraid," he told her and watched as the pieces started to click in to place in her mind as her smirk grew.

"Well, like I said," she smirked with a quirk of her head, "if you manage to win, you will deserve it."

"How about I just get...one instance where I can ask anything of you and you will follow through," he offered and she pursed her lips with her ever growing smirk and tipped her chin up. It was so playful and harmless which had him hating the fact that expression took him to memories of the Evil Queen with that exact expression on her face. Just as playful but not so much harmless. More like a cat playing with its mouse before it kills it. He couldn't tell if his reaction was a flash of hot anger or arousal.

"Alright," she agreed and he nodded and started gathering his reins with a playful smile on his mouth.

"I am feeling safe to assume your price is a kiss?" He teased and she grinned and laughed.

"I gave you plenty of chances to do it of your own volition," she retorted and he laughed.

"I will see you at the house then," he dipped his chin and she hummed an arrogant laugh. An instant later they were tearing through the forest at a full gallop. The horses were startled at first but quickly found a rhythm over the uneven forest floor and dared one another to go faster. His grey was bigger and older than Regina's chestnut but he only made it out of the forest half a stride behind the competitive brunette.

She was laughing and pushing Rocinante faster and faster while David was struggling a little with his unfit horse. The poor grey didn't get ridden nearly as often as Rocinante. The little mare was in far better shape than he and that was simply fact. But it didn't break the old horse's spirit. David was delighted to feel him dig down deep and find a new and bigger stride to catch Regina and Rocinante. He was laughing and encouraging and his steed's breath sounded like a freight train and his hooves like thunder.

Rocinante and Regina teased. He knew it because she was laughing and her mare's stride was bouncy and playful with her prancing when they let him and Ben catch up. They only let Ben's nose reach Rocinante's shoulder before the race proceeded and this time Ben kept up. Much to Regina's amusement it seemed.

Once the small house came in to view he knew he didn't have a chance at winning this race. Not with the well matched pair of Regina and her spry little mare. But that didn't mean he stopped trying. He pushed Ben harder, growling at him and giving him more of his reins so he wasn't holding any part of him back. He did make up some ground and felt a burst of excitement in his chest when he found himself nose to nose with Rocinante. Regina's laughed "shit!" just made it all the more rewarding.

Regina did win though. With a skillfully placed lead change to Rocinante's stronger lead, she did pull ahead half a length as they flew past the house with Regina laughing in victory. He had been defeated but he still laughed as he slowed Ben to an easy canter and then a trot and then eventually a walk as they turned back toward the house and Regina and Rocinante joined them.

"That was a good race!" She laughed and tried to catch her breath while David did the same, "you must really want that favour," she laughed as David laughed with her and patted Ben with a great enthusiasm for his hard work. The poor thing was soaked in sweat, "or you just really don't want to kiss me," she teased with a toothy grin and halted her mare by the house so she could dismount. David did the same.

"I am sure I will manage just fine," he assured playfully and Regina laughed low in her throat as she stepped up to him. He barely even noticed the fact that the house's door had been opened just past Regina. He was hopelessly caught up in her as she stopped mere inches away from him with a smile now that was more lust and desire than simple playfulness. So he intertwined their fingers at their side and felt her breath catch on her exhale against his lips. He was so close to actually following through with kissing those soft lips of hers. But he slowly lifted and turned their entwined hands so that their wrists were crossed and the back of their hands faced the other's chest. Then he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand that pulled the both of them out of their haze of desire.

He smirked as he pulled back from his kiss and she watched him with eyes wide in disbelief. Soon he was laughing and she was scoffing through her open grin. Which really only had him laughing harder. He didn't let go of her hand though until she snatched it from his grasp and delivered a surprisingly skilled punch to his stomach, "ouch!" He laughed as he curled away and she laughed as she yelled at him.

"You _bastard_!"

"You didn't specify!"

"You knew damn well what I meant!" She laughed as she watched him lift his hands in surrender.

"But what if I had been wrong? I would have gotten a mean right hook to the face rather than a jab in to my gut," he laughed and she rolled her eyes in utter exasperation but her mouth was still in an open grin as she shook her head.

"You bastard," she scoffed again and he laughed even harder. And then he bounced away with his arms up and shielding his body from any further injury when she jumped at him ready to hit him again.

"I don't mean to interrupt but is there a reason the pair of you are racing across my property like a couple of lunatics?"

The both of them sobered significantly at the sound of the older woman's voice but their smirks and grins were not quite vanished when they both maneuvered accordingly to look her way. He didn't like the way his mother was looking at him. Like she knew him. She wasn't supposed to know him like he was now. Granted he probably didn't look that much different as he did during this point in time but he knew looked different enough for his own mother to notice. It certainly wasn't promising him good news. But he was so certain that his life had been real. There was too much of it to not be.

"Sorry for disturbing you, Ms Ruth," Regina apologized with a smile and the woman looked her up and down curiously with an oddly thrilled smile, "we had a bet to settle with rather high stakes. It may have gotten a little out of hand," she smirked a little and the older woman laughed as she walked up to them. David was quiet. She knew that this wasn't what he wanted to hear and it had her reaching over the small distance between them to gently curl her fingers around his wrist in support. Her heart softened even further for him when he turned his wrist ever so slightly in an opening gesture and allowed her fingers to slide down over his palm and entangle with his once more.

He knew he shouldn't have been but he was comforted by Regina's quiet support. She was there. Completely understanding of him even if she did believe he was slightly delusional. Perhaps he was. "You know who I am?" He asked and Regina slowly rubbed her thumb over the back of his as Ruth laughed softly.

"Of course I know who you are, David. What a silly thing to ask," she laughed with a shake of her head and watched as the pretty brunette turned her head and looked up at him, gently pressing her lips in to his arm as she lifted her free hand to softly curl around his bicep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the delay peeps! Here's the update and as promised, the kiss will be in the next chapter! And as per M0996's request, I have sparked and will continue with the Belle/Regina friendship. Thanks for the request! It's going to be a nice addition :) Please leave a review and if you have any questions regarding Ruth please don't be afraid to ask :)**

* * *

"I am going to go walk the horses and let them catch their breath," Regina broke the silence with ease and gave David's hand one more squeeze before she slipped away and left him and his mother to talk.

Ruth smiled and nodded at the girl in dismissal and once she had left with reins in either hand, Ruth looked back to her son, "come inside. We'll talk."

Reluctantly, David followed her and when he entered the house he did smile for everything was exactly how he had remembered it. The table right there, the bed up in the loft, the pots and herbs hanging on the wall. "How do you know who I am?" He asked as he sat down beside her with only the corner of the heavy wooden table between them.

"Why wouldn't I know who you are?"

"Because this is all some...dreamshade induced coma hallucination."

"Is that so?"

"I hope so."

"And why is that? You seem to be doing very well here. You look well fed and well clothed. Pretty girl on your arm," she nodded toward the door with a playful smirk and he sighed, "she seems to adore you."

"She does."

"And that is a bad thing?"

"No. Yes...no...I don't know."

"I see. And how is Snow?" She questioned and when his gaze snapped up to her without so much as a thought to blinking, she simply smiled.

"How-..."

"I am your mother, dear, you cannot get away with anything."

"No but...what is going on?" He pressed and felt panic and confusion muddle together inside him.

"I don't know."

"But you just asked me about something that hasn't even happened yet. Something that won't happen for years to come!"

"Has it yet to happen? Or has it already happened?"

"Why are you speaking like that? I just want to know what is going on!"

"Well why don't you tell me what you think is happening and then I will tell you if you are correct," she offered kindly and David huffed in irritation and confusion.

"I think that I was poisoned and that I didn't tell anyone and I collapsed. The last thing I remember was Regina catching me as I fell so I am led to believe that she used her magic to try and save me. I think something happened because of that though. I think that a dream was triggered to keep my mind awake while my body healed. But none of this world and none of these scenarios are anything that I have ever seen and a person can only really dream of things they have seen or done. The human brain can only create so much.

I did not know what Regina was like before she was the Evil Queen, I did not know what her horse looked like or her stables or her home, I didn't know what it was like to truly deal with her mother, I didn't know any of this at all. And yet I am here living it. It just doesn't make sense. So I am once again led to believe that Regina's magic is playing a part. That some how her memories and her character and her personality seeped in to my subconscious through her magic and created this world for me to distract my mind from the fact my body is or was dying.

Whether or not it was intentional remains to be seen. But I don't think it was. I feel like I have taken somebody's place in her past but...I don't know this all just seems so real. I truly cannot tell the difference between what I am experiencing and what I remember. I don't know which is true."

"What if they are both real?"

"I don't know how that would be possible."

"Well magic is powerful. So if you feel like this is real then it either is or this magic you speak of doesn't want you to know it isn't real. The real question is whether or not you trust this woman who sent her magic inside you."

"I do," he answered without hesitation which was something that startled him but didn't faze his mother.

"Well then my advice would be to trust her until the very end. If this world truly is made up of magic and memories then her magic is doing it for a reason and you should simply let it run its course lest you wake up prematurely and die anyway. Live in it. Take it one day at a time. If you feel like you are being pushed in a certain direction then follow that push. Work with her magic, don't fight it. Let yourself love her if that is what you feel is right."

"But what about Snow? I can't just pursue another woman after all we have been through."

"Well there will be very little pursuing involved I would imagine."

"Mother, that is not what I meant."

"I think that you have already made up your mind. I think you have already decided to love that girl out there and that you just don't like your answer," she told him and then raised an eyebrow when he opened his mouth but no argument came out. Then she gentled her tone, "I have always told you to follow your heart, David. You have managed to love the most impossible woman and I understand that you find that confusing. Had it been any other woman I would be much less tolerant of you loving her while you are married. But, David," she paused for a moment to think of the right words and he hung off of every one of them, "I don't think you quite understand how deeply you love this queen of yours. You are debating loving her entirely, you are debating leaving your wife so you may invest all of your effort in to convincing this woman that you love her, David...there is a reason there has been such tension between the pair of you, there is a reason you two fall together when no one is watching, and I am sure there is a reason her magic has created this world for you."

"What is that reason?"

"I find it rather obvious, dear, and I have only been speaking with you for a matter of minutes," she teased gently but he remained without an answer of his own. "So that the pair of you can live a life together without anything holding either of you down. Her past has been erased. You are not married. You are both...free."

He hadn't thought about it like that. It gave him a lot to process and weigh. It gave him even more to think about. It did answer plenty of questions though. Despite many more popping up, it did answer many that had been pestering him for answers. "Do you think that this was her intention? Or that this is just a side effect of her magic?"

"I do not believe it was her direct intention. However I do believe her heart and her magic saw an opportunity and conspired together to make it happen."

"How do you know all of this? Why do you know all of this?"

"Well that depends. If this is reality then it is because I am your mother and I know you better than you know yourself. If this is a dream then it is because I am the part of your brain that remembers and reasons and you have given it a face that would comfort you the most. A face you trust. A face that your queen could not fool you with for she wouldn't know what it looked like."

"And if both worlds are true?"

"Well then I suppose it could be a little mix of both," she smiled and David stared back at her as he tried to process everything. "Since when have you had to psychoanalyze everything?" She teased gently with a nod in his direction.

"A lot has happened since..."

"I died?"

"...Yes..."

"Even still," she shrugged as she stood and placed a hand on his shoulder and a kiss to the top of his head as she passed, "it appears as though you have forgotten how to enjoy yourself."

"Well I have a lot on my mind. And the fact that I am talking to my own brain dressed up as my mother isn't exactly helping that fact."

"I would imagine not," she laughed as she looked through her cupboards, "so perhaps you should stop thinking so hard and just live today as it appears. In the company of your mother and a beautiful young brunette who is hopelessly in love with you. If it seems real then simply let it be real. See what becomes of it."

David simply frowned deeper as he gently picked at a groove in the table, "I want to go back."

"Well I am afraid you must make the most of what you have, dear," she told him gently and he stayed quiet, "you have the chance to love Regina. Take it."

"It's not the same."

"Well she didn't believe you could love her as she was."

"I know that. That is why I want to go back."

"Why not love all of her? You cannot simply love only the damaged parts of a person. You have to love the good parts too."

"I do love all of her."

"Do you really though?" Ruth smiled a little as she looked over her shoulder and David looked back at her, "do you really think you will ever get a better look at what is really inside that queen than what she has given you now? Not two minutes ago you told me you didn't know that this was what she was like before her reign. How could you possibly love all of her if you only just discovered who she is beneath her anger and her cracks?" She noted and he fell silent again with even more to think about. So with a short hum she made her point and went back to preparing dinner, "you boys just think you know everything when you've barely scratched the surface. It wouldn't kill you to read the manual before you tried to work something."

"Alright," Regina breathed with a smile as she stepped inside the house, "horses have been untacked, walked, and left to graze with the sheep. Is there anything I can do to help? Are you making something?" She asked curiously and tried to peer over the woman's shoulder but was quickly denied with a wooden spoon being waved at her.

"Ah ah ah!" Ruth scolded with a laugh and the pretty brunette laughed with her as she jumped away, "you may help when it is time to dish it out but no one will ever know this recipe until I am cold in the ground."

"I shall leave you to it then," Regina laughed as she lifted her hands in surrender and backed away toward David. When she did look at him he seemed more troubled than ever before. So her smile softened in to one that invited him to speak as she sat down in the chair right beside him, "you okay?"

"I don't really know," he answered quietly and she gave him a small comforting smile in return as she rested her chin on his shoulder. It was still odd to see such warmth and kindness in her eyes. Even after spending near months with her, he still found it strange.

...

As the day went on it was easier to treat Ruth as his mother again rather than an odd figment of his subconscious. Probably because he was comforted by her presence very much unlike the image of Regina he was given. He still found her confusing and frustrating. She and his mother got along famously though. He wasn't surprised. He knew that if they ever got the chance to truly meet, his mother would love Regina. Even as the Evil Queen. Ruth had always had a knack for knowing what was going on in a person's heart and he was sure that had she had the chance to meet the Evil Queen, she would put her in her place without a thought to it. Depending on the day Regina would either kill her on the spot or engage in a fierce argument that he was almost certain Ruth would win.

The thought made him smile. The big and terrifying Evil Queen being told off by an old shepherd's wife.

"What are you smiling about?" Regina laughed softly as she sat down in the grass right beside her stableboy.

"Nothing," he dismissed and she hummed to tell him she didn't believe him but was letting it go.

"Well whatever it was it is nice to see you smiling again," she told him quietly so as not to disturb the serene atmosphere he had built for himself in the grass under the stars. "You know you can stay here," she told him and he turned his head to look at her curiously, "you don't have to come back to the estate. You can stay here on the farm with your mother."

"I don't want to stay here."

"Why not? You are so much happier here. You seem at home here with your mother and these sheep and I don't want to take you from this."

"I seem at home here because it is the only thing that is familiar to me. It doesn't mean I wish to stay here indefinitely."

"Well where do you want to be?"

"It seems the only place I want to be is near you," he told her simply and saw her smile but didn't acknowledge it. He didn't really know why he had said that. Even if it was entirely true.

"Who am I to you?" She asked curiously and when he looked back at her with a question in his eyes, she elaborated, "in this other world you believe you lived in. You look at me as though you know me better than I know myself but that what you see doesn't match up with what you know. Like you recognize my face but nothing that it portrays. So I am curious as to who I am to you in this life you swear you have lived," she knew she wasn't going to get an answer the moment she stopped speaking. He was completely closed off to the topic and after staring at her for a moment or two longer, he looked out ahead of him in to the dark.

"I will not delve in to that," he answered quietly and to his relief, she didn't argue. She simply accepted it as it was for now and looked out ahead of them as well.

...

He supposed he deserved it when his sheep watching was interrupted by a book being placed on his head. It had him closing his eyes and laughing his exhale through his nose and sure enough Regina came around in front of him with her lips pursed in a playful smirk. Those eyes though. He was just enthralled with them.

"Is there a purpose to this? Or are you just causing trouble?"

"Well as tempted as I am to learn what sort of trouble you have in mind, I simply came looking for a second lesson at swordplay. If you have another topic in mind I will be happy to hear it," she smirked and he laughed with a slight shake of his head.

"I do not."

"Well then, choose your weapon, Sir," she smirked and extended her arms for him to choose a stick.

"And your book?" He inquired as he took the stick from her left hand.

"From what I recall, it seems you need it more than I do for you managed to drop your book more often than you kept it on your head the last time we tried this," she teased and he laughed that low laugh deep in his throat through a brilliant smile that showed all his teeth. The laugh that did warm and fluttery things inside her. "Regardless of that fact, I did bring one along for myself lest you feel like a fool for being segregated," she grinned and he laughed as he whacked his stick against hers.

"Brat," he laughed and she grinned even wider with her laughter as she placed a book on her head, "do you remember what I taught you last time?"

"Of course."

"Then let's test you."

"Can you keep your book from sliding off your head?"

"Oh shut up," he scorned with a laugh and she gave a joyous laugh through her bright grin that was all teeth as she fell in to position. He lasted two strikes before his book fell to the grass. Regina's guffaw of hysterical laughter was heard the moment gravity stabbed him in the back. "God damn it," he laughed as he bent down and picked up the green leather bound book from the ground.

"I am not going to learn a thing if we keep going at this rate," she laughed as David rebalanced the book on his head. Once his hands let go of it, she lifted her stick and promptly knocked it off his head. Another rich laugh left her lips when he huffed and stared at the book in the grass and when he looked back up at her he was entirely unimpressed. It had her laughing harder, "you can practice your balance on your own time. This right now is my time and I want to spend it sparring with you. Not watching you pick your book up from the ground," she teased and he shook his head in surrender with a laugh of his own.

"Fair enough," he laughed and after a few moments of listening to only her laughter, he moved to attack her and she quickly blocked him. "Very good," he encouraged with a smile and she smirked. How she kept that book so stable on her head, he did not know but she was going to make a superb swordsman. Or woman rather. It made him wonder if his queen back home knew how to fight.

 **Regina**

"Well...there has to be something right?" Tink shrugged as she spoke through a mouthful of her half chewed fries, pushing them in to her cheek so she could speak at least somewhat clearly. She didn't get an answer though. Regina just kept looking through the endless amount of books this place provided. The library.

Regina had found herself fidgety at lunch so Tink suggested they take it somewhere else to eat. She hadn't exactly meant sneak in to the locked library but whatever. It seemed to be the only thing that gave Regina's busy mind something to focus on. So Tink sat cross legged on the table and plucked the fries from their styrofoam container as she watched Regina murmur insults at innocent books. The brunette's chicken salad remained practically untouched. She had only taken three or four bites before she could no longer sit still and started pulling books from the shelves.

Another episode of motivation and determination she supposed. Tink was content to just watch. "I thought you and the doctor confirmed that David was just asleep and dreaming up a storm," she nudged for a conversation as she waved a few fries in the air with her hand gesture.

"We did."

"Well then what are you trying to do?"

"Make sure he doesn't get lost in there."

"What, like stay in the dream forever?"

"Yes."

"...How?"

"I don't know."

"Is such a thing even possible?"

"I don't know."

"What if it is possible?"

"I don't know."

"Well jeez you're pretty useless, you should probably read some books or something," she nodded at her back with a playful smirk and Regina simply looked over her shoulder completely and entirely unimpressed. It made Tink laugh.

"What are you doing in here?!" Belle practically shouted in her disbelief as she looked between the pair occupying her very closed and locked library. Regina merely glanced at her in disinterest and went back to running her fingers along the spines of books which left the fairy to explain, "and why do you have food in here?!" She snapped as she snatched the fairy's fries from her.

"Hey," Tink whined as she reached pitifully for the food Belle had taken, "I'm not even touching the books."

"What are you doing in here, Regina?"

"Putting this ghost town of a library to use. I'm looking at books."

"It is a ghost town because it's closed, Regina! Just because you're the mayor doesn't mean you get to go around breaking and entering in to buildings you happen to need on a whim!"

"Sure it does. And I didn't break anything, I simply entered. I even locked the door behind me. Now if you would excuse me, I am trying to focus. And if you don't want people to eat in here you should have put up a sign," she drawled and Belle scoffed. Then there was a rustling of laminated paper and Regina looked up to see Belle rip off a bright pink sign from the archway they passed through to get in to this section of books. Sure enough in big black letters it read 'No Food Or Drink In The Library!'. It even had a little cartoon image of a meal crossed out on it.

"Well...I am sorry about the food then. That is our mistake. Won't happen again," she apologized and then went back to reading the spines.

"And yet still nothing about being here in the first place," Belle stated in annoyance as she dropped the sign to her side and shifted her weight to one foot which had her resting Tink's confiscated fries on her hip.

"She's kind of on a one track mind this afternoon," Tink shrugged as she slowly reached for Regina's abandoned salad, holding the librarian's scorning gaze as she retrieved it and put it in her lap. Like a child carefully pushing the boundaries their parents just put in place. Belle gave up with an irate scoff the moment Tink broke the silence and put the fork through a particularly crunchy piece of lettuce. She would be lying if she said she didn't find the situation amusing, "she's just trying to make sure David wakes up from his weird nap."

"Nap?"

"Mhm."

"I thought it was a coma?"

"No Henry came up with a theory that he's just asleep and really caught up in a dream. They did some weird brain tests or something that this world has and so far they've supported that theory. Something about wicked brainwave measurements. I don't know, I'm a fairy not a scientist," she dismissed with a wave of her salad spiked fork before she put it in her mouth.

"Well can't you just wake him up with an alarm clock or something?"

"No," Regina shut down promptly and probably rather rudely but she wasn't exactly paying all that much attention to her voice, "we have no way of telling the full extent of the damage the dreamshade caused. We can't wake him up before he is completely healed or he will very likely die. However we don't need him dreaming his life away either."

"Makes sense," Belle nodded and found her anger soothed by this new puzzle. The calm silence was disturbed though when Regina turned around suddenly and looked her up and down as though she was calculating her worth, "what?"

"You," Regina stated as she stepped toward the bookworm with a finger slightly raised in her direction, "you like books. Come to my house and read mine."

Tink simply started laughing quietly in to her stolen salad while Belle floundered for the appropriate response and Regina completely ignored her and continued analyzing her new research tool. "She's socially awkward when it comes to asking for help," she chuckled and Belle glanced her way with her posture still slightly leaning back from Regina, "you grow to find it endearing," she grinned and Regina rolled her eyes as she scowled at her over her shoulder.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8! I know you've been waiting for this one for a long while so I'll just let you guys get straight to reading! I hope you're not groaning at the word count lol! I promise it's not as dry a read as some others can** **be ;) enjoy! Please leave a review! It is my birthday after all ;p lol!**

* * *

The journey back to the manor had gone smoothly. They hadn't run in to any trouble, the conversation was great, Regina was picking up her swordsmanship very quickly, and they made it back a full day before Cora. David suspected that extra day of freedom without distraction was what was giving him grief though. The morning was fine and he tolerated her closeness, enjoyed it even. But the afternoon when she returned from the town with her father, David did what he could to prevent her from getting close. There was always an obstacle between them and eventually she noticed and talked her way out of their conversation and left.

He thought he had managed to be rid of her for the day after that. He had too many conflicting thoughts in his head and they were driving him mad. He was beginning to wonder why he hadn't stayed at the farm with his mother. Even if his mother was just a mask for the lucid part of his brain, at least he wouldn't have to deal with wanting to throw this young woman on his bed and fuck the life out of her before sleeping with her in his arms.

He would throttle any man his age who had such thoughts over a woman her age. Not that he even knew her age. But she couldn't be that young. If this world truly was how Ruth had described it and Regina's magic created it for she and him to be together, surely it would have altered her age. Because from the stories Snow told and the arguments he overheard between her and Regina, he was led to believe Regina was...eighteen. At the very _oldest_. Which was old enough he supposed. But not truly.

"What has you in such a state?" Regina nodded at him as she looked over his tense and surly figure. He simply scowled at her in a way that had her frowning. He had never looked at her like that. Never like he wanted her to run away and leave him be.

"I don't want to deal with you right now."

"You don't want to _deal_ with me right now?" She parroted back incredulously with a quiet scoff as she stepped further in to the stables, "what, like I am some _toy_ you toss of to the side when you are not in the mood?"

"You are truly stubborn and incessant aren't you," he insulted on a bitter exhale as he turned to walk away.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Any time you get close to acting like a normal human being you spiral down in to this complete ass! You are bitter and rude! Why?! What the hell triggers such drastic mood swings?!" She practically shouted as she followed him during his attempt to get away. He ignored her though, "David!" Until she grabbed his arm and he spun around.

She was startled to say the least when her grabbing his arm resulted in her being pushed and slammed against the stable wall. He kept her pinned there and while the initial gesture was rough and harsh, his hands were no longer on her but hovering over her with his fingers tense and partially curled. As though he couldn't decide between strangling her or pulling her in to a kiss. His blue eyes portrayed no different and as she let her held breath out, all of the pieces fell in to place.

"Why are you fighting this?" She prodded quietly but directly, no longer startled or panicked by the rough scuffle that ordinarily resulted from her mother's temper. Her heart was still thumping in her ears but she no longer blamed it on the initial fright but rather the idea that he might just snap and finally kiss her.

"Tell me why," she insisted and his breath came out shaky with unbridled anger and frustration.

"No."

"You have told me of your wife and you have told me of your queen but neither of those explain the way you look at me. Neither of those explain the self loathing you feel every time you let me close," her words ground in to him and she could see that his control was wavering and flickering as his eyes darted between her's and his breaths and stance grew all the more shaky. "Tell me why you are trying so hard to push me away when I can see all you want to do is give in? I am _here_ , I _want_ to be with you, you _want_ to love me, _why_ are you pushing me away?!"

"Because you are not her!" He roared at her and her frustration and heartache started to show in the gloss to her eyes, "I am trying to love her! But you are in my way! You are confusing and distracting!"

"Then why do you want to be with me!?" She shouted and hated that she was crying but his words hurt too much, "if I am not her, if I am not who you want then why the hell do you look at me like you do?! Why do you touch me like you do?! What are you refusing to tell me?!"

"I will not tell you, Regina!" He shouted at her and she screamed right back.

"Why not?!"

"Because it will hurt you! It will make you lose faith in yourself! It will ruin this person that you are!"

"This person that no one cares about?! This person that everyone is trying to change?! What the hell is the point in protecting me from losing myself if it is inevitable anyway?!"

"I will not let that happen!"

"How?! How can you protect me if you can't stand to be around me?! And what the hell are you protecting me from in the first place?!"

"Everything!" He shouted and fell silent for he was certain that that was not the answer she had been expecting. Big wide brown eyes blinked back at him and tears dampened her cheeks while her lips parted softly in preparation for a response she didn't have. Getting a better grasp on his temper, David quieted his voice, "everything. And everyone. I will not taint you with my knowledge of your future. But I know I can keep you from falling in to that life."

"But what is the point?"

"You don't _understand_ , Regina," he pressed and she shook her head with a miserable laugh as his hands took hold of her upper arms and squeezed, "I am trying to save you."

"But what is the point if you won't let me love you?" She asked softly, her voice just above a whisper as she searched his face for any small sign that he would just give in, "if you won't let yourself love me?"

"Regina, I..." He breathed and she gave another miserable laugh that was all tears and frustration. But he was starting to get a grasp on something. He could feel it but he didn't know what it was. It was a thought, an answer, just out of reach.

"You are so dense!" She cried out in frustration as she ripped her arms from his grasp and stood up straight so her back was no longer pressed to the wall behind her. It forced David to take a partial step back but he didn't leave her. He didn't step away from her, he stayed inches away from her as she yelled at him, "I don't care what happens to me! I don't care where I end up! I don't care about any of it! The only thing I _care_ about is whether or not I am alone when I get there! Whether or not I am with someone I love is all that matters to me! The only thing you seem to be preventing me from obtaining is the one thing that I want! The one thing I need more than anything else!"

He didn't have anything to say to that. Her words were still bouncing around in his head and he was trying to make sense of them and find balance between what he knew, what he thought he knew, and what she was telling him. His response was too late though and she pushed passed him and stormed off out of the stables.

"Regina," he called in an attempt to get her to stop because he could feel the answer right there on the tip of his tongue even if he didn't have it yet. She ignored him and continued out the stable doors. And then it was there. The answer that had been staring him in the face since that first night after dinner in that cursed Storybrooke, "Regina!" He called louder as he tried to chase her.

He stopped at the threshold. It would do neither of them any good to be seen together doing anything even remotely close to intimate. Especially if it was Cora's eyes they caught.

 **Regina**

"Would you like anything to drink? Water? Tea? Wine? Liquor? Coffee?"

"No. No I'm fine, thank you," Belle replied a little awkwardly as she looked up the from the book she was reading. She hadn't even managed to make it to the table with it before she was engrossed in it so she had remained standing in front of the shelf she slid it from. Cordial Regina was odd. Strange and unheard of really. Alright perhaps not unheard of since the trip from Neverland, but those were just rumours to her until she saw it them in person now.

So in an attempt to reach out and encourage the woman to continue on this better path, Belle spoke up as the woman moved to leave, "these books," she started and Regina turned back with her eyebrows raised ever so slightly, "I have never seen anything like them before. Not even in Rumple's collections. Where did you get them from?"

"Oh many different places," Regina answered simply with a small shrug and a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "I inherited some from my mother, others I stole or killed for. There are a few in there that I obtained honestly but not many. I know that there are a number of them that Rumple would be loath to discover I have in my possession," she smirked a little and Belle gave a small laugh in return. "I have a great many more in my vault and in the second library upstairs that you are more than welcome to. Even after this David predicament is resolved."

"Really?" Belle dipped her head with her incredulous tone and Regina simply shrugged a shoulder.

"They will be gathering dust otherwise. Until the next crisis hits us anyway," she breathed a tired and humourless laugh and Belle stared at her curiously, "what?"

"Why are you working so hard to wake David?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well I can think of hundreds of reasons but for starters; he is married to Snow."

"Snow and I are getting along just fine," Regina shrugged and Belle nodded.

"There is more to this though isn't there," she prodded and Regina gave a single shake of her head and a slight laugh in return.

"Not that I am aware of."

"You and Rumple are too much alike. You unfortunately don't tend to go out of your way to ensure the wellbeing of others unless it affects you. Directly or indirectly."

"David is family. As much as I hate to admit it, he is. He is Henry's family and therefore he is mine. None of them; Henry, Snow, or Emma, need to lose another person. I have taken so much from them, it is only right that I do what I can to make sure that they don't lose another person."

"That's not it," Belle denied gently and Regina's slightly irritated smile only confirmed her thoughts. She didn't get a chance to dig deeper though and nor did she particularly want to given their current relationship.

The momentary silence between them was broken with the opening and closing of the front door and as Regina pivoted to see who it was, Henry was revealed bouncing up the stairs in to the foyer. "Henry," Regina greeted happily and Henry snapped his head to her with a big smile at the call of his name

"Hi mom."

"School alright?"

"Yeah as good as it gets I suppose. Whose car is in the driveway?" He questioned as he stepped in to her and gave her a hug. His question was answered the moment he glanced passed her and saw Belle as he hugged his mother tight and she hugged him back. "Oh. Belle. Hi," he laughed in confusion as he slipped from their hug and Belle smiled at him.

"Hi Henry."

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh your mom just asked for a second opinion on waking David up," she answered easily and watched in wonderment at the way Regina was looking at her son. She hadn't really ever paid attention to it before. Not that she had really had the chance to anyway. But there was so much kindness in her eyes and her face. So much softness. It was like she was looking at a completely different person than the queen who kept her locked in a tower. It caught her by surprise.

"That's a great idea!" He exclaimed and when he looked up at his mom she was already smiling down at him, "you guys will definitely figure it out now."

"That's the hope," Regina smiled and Henry grinned while Belle stayed quiet and content.

 **David**

He had barely seen Regina since their fight. When he did see her she was bitter and cold and rightfully furious. Every time he tried to speak with her or touch her she would shut him down with harsh and cruel anger. Glares, snarls, snatched hands, and storming footsteps. That was all he had received from her for days when all he was trying to do was find a moment of quiet with her so he could make a decision.

Truly turn her away. Or love her.

It had taken time for him to make sense of it and finally see everything clearly but he did get it. Regina's ultimate downfall was not Cora, it was not Rumplestiltskin, it was not Leopold, and it was not Snow. It was that she had no one to love her, no one to give her strength, no one to support her, no one to guide her. He had been trying to protect her from all the evil that was going to surround and consume her when all he had to do, all anyone had to do, was love her. Just _be_ there for her. He felt like a damn fool. But even now knowing what exactly had to be done, he wasn't convinced he should do it. He wanted to though. He felt so helpless against it he didn't even know why he was debating it. He just needed a moment of quiet with her so he could decide.

He was staring at the ceiling of his loft when he heard the stable door open beneath him. The sound was not unusual but the time of night it was occurring at certainly was. So with a frown and his senses on high alert, he silently climbed out of his bed and down the stairs. Without so much as a sound of a breath, his feet found the worn wooden floor and his hand reached out for the pitchfork he always kept at the bottom of the stairs for instances such as these. So far there had been no one foolish enough to so much as think of crossing Cora Mills but it seemed tonight that was changing.

All the horses' ears were perked toward Rocinante's stall and the fact that all the horses were calm with the ruckus in the chestnut's stall didn't quite soothe his readied nerves the way it probably should have. The closer he got to the stall in question, the tighter his grip wound around the pitch fork and his gaze fell to the lantern the intruder brought with them. He just hoped the moon from the door and the flickering flame beside him hadn't cast too large a shadow to alert the intruder to the fact they were not alone. When she stepped out of the stall she was greeted with the sharpened metal points of the pitch fork against the soft skin of her throat and she responded with a startled gasp and stopped dead in her tracks. He immediately pulled the fork back.

"Regina?"

"I am just going for a ride."

"Now?"

"Yes."

"It's late..." He shook his head but paused once he got a good look at her. Her eyes were red from crying, her tears had dampened her cheeks, and she refused to look him in the eye. Refused to show any more of her face than the left side of it. She always looked at him, never turned away from him, she was always flirting and taunting. Even the past few days with her temper flaring at him she always made a point to look him straight in the eye. But now she couldn't even look in his general direction.

"I just want to ride," she insisted as her grip tightened around her reins and Rocinante stayed quiet and still beside her.

With a concerned frown, he let his pitch fork stand against the stall and took it upon himself to see what she was trying to hide from him. As he stepped closer and more around in front of her, she bowed her head and turned it further away from him which only confirmed his worry there was something she was hiding from him. So he gently placed his fingers beneath her chin and her brow furrowed in distress at the contact but with his silent insistence, she did straighten her neck so she was facing him. But her eyes stayed down. Which was probably a good thing for she didn't catch the rage and sorrow and disgust that washed over his face at the state of her.

The right side of her top lip. Her trademark scar was born. It was bloody and swollen and before he could really think about what he was doing, he pulled her in to a firm hug and crushed her against his body as she clamped her arms around him in return and pressed her face in to the side of his neck. She was crying moments later and he nuzzled his face in to her hair, closed his eyes, and simply held her.

"Why is it so wrong to just be me?"

Her quiet and confused plea for an answer broke his heart, shattered it and put a lump in his throat. The sound of her utter confusion and inability to understand what was so bad about being the person she was at heart...it wasn't fair. "Don't let her break you," he breathed in to her hair and felt her forehead crease with exhaustion and pain against his neck. He held her like that until she was relaxed against him and then he found he didn't want to let her go. He wanted to keep holding her. So he gave in for a little while and relaxed against her. But he didn't let it last long and blamed it on him being tired, "let's go for a ride."

...

Ride they did. With her arms around his middle and his hands on Rocinante's reins, they galloped in to the night and he tried not to enjoy her warmth against his back too much. Or the way her arms wrapped lazily around his middle as she pressed her face in to his spine. He tried to ignore it, tried to focus on Rocinante beneath him rather than Regina behind him. He tried. But he failed and felt his will to resist her grow weaker and weaker with each stride of the mare's gallop.

Eventually they stopped at a small stream for he had caught glimpse of a plant that he knew how to use. So he slid off of Rocinante's bare back and after a moment, Regina followed suit and then led Rocinante to the stream's edge for a drink. He couldn't quite tell if it was better or worse having his back turned to Regina. It only seemed to make it hard to focus on anything but her. With a shake of his head in an attempt to clear it, he crouched down and started digging for what he wanted. The roots of this ugly plant.

"What is that?" She nodded as she watched him drop down to wash his hands and his found prize in the stream.

"A root."

"What for?" She questioned and watched him mash a portion of it in to a pulp with a smooth stone from the stream. He didn't answer her and that was fine. It seemed his mind was elsewhere as he continued with his root. It wasn't like he had a habit of answering more than fifty percent of her questions anyway.

"Do you have a handkerchief or a scarf or something?"

"It doesn't seem as though you are in dire need of your shirt," she retorted playfully and much to her surprise and delight, he did rip a piece of his shirt from his waist and wet it in the cool clear water.

"I am sorry it is cold," he apologized as he stepped up to her and carefully placed his fingers beneath her chin and gently pressed the wet linen to her lip to clean her skin and soften the dried blood on the wound itself, "the world I lived in had the ability to heat water in seconds. Unfortunately that technology doesn't exist here," he explained as he continued to dab and tried to figure out why he was taking the time to do this. He knew for a fact that Cora would heal her in the morning. She wouldn't dare let anyone see her precious daughter in such a state. Image was everything.

"Sounds amazing."

"Hmm," he agreed and leaned in a little closer to inspect the deep cut in her lip now that it was cleaner and fresh blood was slowly coming to the surface, "what did this?" There was no point in asking who did it.

"A ring. I believe," she answered softly and he frowned and dabbed the wound once more before he reached over to gather the poultice of sorts he had made. As he did so, she pivoted and leaned back so she partially sat on the large boulder he had crushed his root on. She watched him silently and shamelessly studied the way the moonlight revealed his muscles to her. His strong chest where his night shirt dipped down in a V, the section ripped from his abdomen to reveal just a part of his sculpted torso. He was strong and big and had her wanting him even more. Her anger with him only seemed to fuel that want. When he looked back up at her she let her eyes linger on his chest and abdomen and when she did look him in the eye she felt her stomach jump with a whole new sort of warmth.

He wanted her too. Really and truly. She could see it clear as day in his eyes and it made her breath catch ever so slightly on her exhale. It made her forget about the pain in her lip and as he stepped closer she tipped her chin up just a fraction so it was easier to look him in the eye. He didn't touch her. But oh how she wished he would.

If it wasn't for the fact her lip was bleeding and it would cause her a great deal of pain, he would have kissed her. He would have lost what remaining restraint he had and just given in and kissed her. But he didn't want to hurt her so he stopped inches in front of her and tried not to fall victim to the need and lust and tentative love in those dark eyes of hers, "this will sting," he breathed and she nodded, "a lot."

"Okay."

He was gentle when he smeared the paste on her lip but she still whimpered and recoiled at the burning pain the plant brought. "It'll pass, I promise," he assured and she took a deep and shaky breath to steady herself. He frowned deeper in sympathy as the pain grew more intense on her beautiful face and she pressed her eyes shut and her fingers dug in to the stone she rested back upon. And then it was over and her face relaxed once more.

"There," he breathed as he lifted the damp cloth to her lip and wiped away the used root, "while it is a rather crude and painful trick, it does wonders on small wounds. Not the big ones though," he shook his head as he bent down to rinse the cloth in the stream and then went back to cleaning her lip, "there have been many incidents where people simply die of the pain the root puts them through. Which is why it isn't used all that often and also why not many know of it," he told her as he slowly wiped the cloth over her lip with his thumb, "it unfortunately never quite heals without a trace though," he added quietly as he studied the scar on her lip.

Her own mother. Permanently scarred by her own mother. His heart ached when her fingertips gently came up to inspect her lip and he noticed the way they lingered on the indent of her new scar. But she didn't appear to be bothered by the new addition.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied and she let her fingers and eyes drop to her lap and kept her weight resting against the giant boulder. Partially sitting but mostly standing. "Are you okay?" He asked gently and she gave a sudden laugh that sprung tears to her eyes and broke his heart.

"No," she laughed miserably with a shake of her head, "no I am not alright," she told him and her laughter was nowhere to be found. "I am alone. I have no one,-"

"You are not alone, Regina," he tried to soothe but her miserable laugh returned with her tears as she looked up at him in defeat.

"I have you? This man who I have fallen hopelessly in love with despite the fact he has given me no reason to? Who lets me in only close enough to think that maybe he won't push me away this time? That maybe, just maybe, he could love me too? No," she shook her head and watched him dissolve in to misery with her, "I don't have anyone. My mother is a tyrant. My father is dear but utterly useless. You are in love with your evil queen and refuse to perhaps realize that this is your life and that the one you remember was merely a dream. I don't want to be here, David.

I am tired of being trained like a dog. I don't want power, I don't want status, I don't want to be queen, I don't want to marry someone I don't love. I want to be free, I want to ride when I want to ride and for as long as I want to ride, I want to be with someone who loves me for me and not take me because I am a pretty prize who knows what fork to use for each dish in a meal. I just want to be happy and I don't understand why none of you will let me," she cried softly in desperation for an answer that made sense.

"Regina, we can't-"

"Stop giving me the same damn excuse! I don't care about the years between us! Do you have some fairytale illusion in your head that I will be married off to a man my age?! I will be lucky if I am to be with a man only twice my age!" She yelled furiously while simultaneously feeling sick to her stomach. "All I can hope for in my miserable life is a brief period of time that I can look back on and know that I was loved and know that I had loved. If you cannot do that then please leave and never turn back. Stop tormenting me," she told him sharply but most of her effect was lost with her thick voice and pooling tears.

He kissed her then.

What restraint he had left was lost with her human plea. It was _so_ human. The desire to be loved when the darkness loomed around her just waiting for the right moment to swallow her whole. So he stepped forward and kissed her because he just couldn't handle it anymore and she whimpered as he cradled her head in his hands. His palms on her jaw, his fingers in her hair, his body pressed to hers, and his mouth on hers. It was strong and frantic and she gave as good as she got.

Her hands pulled at him as she swivelled her head for more and he was all too happy to oblige when she opened her mouth for him. A mutual moan resonated in both of their throats at the taste and burning passion the other held for them. Hers carried a whimper as her fingers dug in to his ribs and his rumbled with a groan of pure desire. It felt so good to kiss her, so right, so powerful.

His hands then detangled from her hair so he could move them lower. They wrapped gently around her slender neck as he pushed her head back with his kiss and stepped even closer to pin her firmer against the boulder she leaned against. Her skin was soft and her throat vibrated with every vocal he was able to draw from her with his fierce and rather feral kiss. When her hands took hold of either side of his face, his were sliding slowly and heavily down her sides. Her ribs caving and expanding with each sharp and heavy pant of breath against his lips, the deep red velvet of her coat just begging to be torn from her body.

Then his hands were gripping her hips and with a sudden tug he had lifted her just a little higher and dropped his mouth to her neck as she sat upon the side of the cold boulder and hooked one knee around his hip and the other around the back of his knee. She gasped and whimpered as his mouth nipped and sucked and kissed her neck and while her fingers raked through his hair and scratched at his scalp, his hands were sliding over her thighs.

Always so pretty, always so feminine, even when she was a mess of passion and arousal. Perhaps even more so than her usual. Then his mouth was back with hers and she arched her back in to him as she wrapped her arms around his head and shoulders. She was overwhelming in all the best ways and he lost himself in her. Her scent, her taste, her touch, everything. He forgot why he even resisted her in the first place.

Slowly their kisses steadied. They were longer and, at times, softer and sweeter but still far from innocent. Eventually they stopped with their mouths hovering and their bodies moulded together. Warm and content as they breathed the same breath. Then she started laughing and tipped her forehead against his. It was a quiet laugh. Happy and free and he couldn't help but smile as he leaned his forehead in to hers as well.

His hand lifted once more and cradled the side of her face and as she continued with that delightful and quiet laughter, he softly slid the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip and bumped the side of her nose with his before he kissed her once more. Soft and chaste. For the most part anyway. "We should get back," he started softly against her lips but was momentarily silenced when she kissed him and slid her hands down his chest and stomach. Then moments turned to seconds and those seconds stacked up as her fingers slipped beneath his shirt and got lost exploring every rise and dip his abdomen offered.

Her touch was gentle and their breaths grew a little shakier but it never escalated further than that. He was too enthralled in her kiss to think of much else aside from it anyway. She was so soft. Her skin, her hair, her lips, her tongue, soft. All of her.

"Cora," he breathed and she paused with her parted lips brushing softly against his, "I am not a king, Regina."

"You are better," she breathed and pressed a chaste and lingering kiss to his lips, "you are perfect."

"She won't see it that way."

"I know," she whispered and rolled her lips in to her mouth as she pressed her nose in to his cheek.

"It just means we have to stay quiet," he whispered and slowly felt her face lift in to a smile, "and stay hidden," he told her and slowly felt his own face fall victim to a smile as hers grew in to a happy and quiet laugh.

"Of course," she breathed and lifted her hands to hold his jaw so she could kiss him again. She could have cried she was so happy and so...relieved.


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy Once Day! Hopefully this finale will be kind to us. I know it won't but...one can hope lol! Got it up as quick as I could for you dakota1979! Enjoy! Please leave a review ;)**

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He was pleasantly surprised to see Regina already in the stables when he came down from his loft to start the morning chores. It was not very often that she was there so early in the morning and it didn't appear she realized he had come down yet. She was too focused on petting her dear mare to notice him coming up behind her. It gave him the chance to study her. It wasn't that often he got to see her in a gown in this place.

This one was simple. It was a pretty plum colour with a tight bodice and a neckline that left most of her shoulders bare. It went straight from one tip of her shoulder to the other. The skirt simply fell softly from her hips, lacking the volume of a ball gown and that he enjoyed for he did tend to find them obnoxious. It wasn't her style anyway. She preferred things simple. Until she became the widowed queen anyway. Then she was as expressive as possible.

He was feeling free to assume she had come down at such an early hour to confirm the events of the night before. Before she went mad wondering throughout her day. So when he touched her it was gentle but she still jumped for she really hadn't noticed his presence. He ignored it though and continued to pull her hair over her shoulder and away from her neck. Her body only grew more tense with the slow movement and as his other hand settled on her hip, he lowered his head a placed a kiss to her shoulder.

It was soft and tender and by the second one her breath came rushing out past her lips in a relieved exhale. He didn't stop there. His eyes fell shut as he trailed his lips slowly higher up her neck between soft and loving kisses over her skin and she let herself lean back in to him. He could feel her sporadic pulse against his lips when he let them linger on her neck and when he reached the corner of her jaw her fingers had intertwined with his over her hip.

"Good morning," he whispered against the shell of her ear and revelled in the small whimper that jumped in her throat in reply.

"Good morning," she huffed out on a short breath as his hot and tender mouth started making its way back down the side of her neck. She had been so afraid that she would come down and be greeted with apologies and regret. She had hoped for a smile. She had hoped for him to be happy to see her and happy to start something with her. She had not expected to have him so completely muddle her thoughts as he dove in head first. She had expected at least hesitance. She had never been more thrilled to have been wrong.

When his lips found the end of her shoulder once again, she turned around and was so completely overwhelmed with lust when his eyes focused on her lips and her throat as he stepped in to her and pinned her back to Rocinante's stall door. She was aroused even further when his gaze dropped to her breasts for a moment before his mouth found her throat.

She had never felt like this before. So dizzy with lust and arousal as his teeth and tongue joined his lips against her throat. She was a mess and she could barely find it in her to breath as his hands slid evenly down her sides, starting at her ribs and ending low on her hips. She was barely aware of the fact that she had a hand pulling in his hair and another digging in to his bicep.

She was quite aware that he had been with other women before her. She wasn't daft. He had told her he a wife and a love affair with an evil queen but she had never really considered that that would work to her advantage. Not until a whimper cried in her throat when his teeth nipped at her jaw.

The men who had touched her before had been greedy pigs that made her skin crawl. David was different. She was at his mercy in mere moments and loved it. He was making her enjoy herself. His touch was generous as were his kisses, she didn't feel like he was using her or that he was taking from her. No, she felt like he was giving them to her, that he was there to make her feel good. It all resulted in a throaty moan resonating in her throat when his lips finally found hers.

His body curled around her and pinned her firmer to the stall and he was high on the way she was reacting to him. Every quivering breath, every moan, every whimper, every tug at his hair, every clench of her grip around his arm that made her nails dig in to his skin, all of it. He was having a hard time getting over the fact that every morning could have been like this had he not been so stubborn.

Her mouth was soft and pliant and her breath was sweet enough for him to pause with his lips parted over hers just so he could enjoy it. He could kiss her forever and be completely happy. "You are distracting me," he breathed on a slow exhale and proceeded to kiss her again, feeling the shivers shoot up and down his spine when she hummed against his lips.

"I am going to be late for breakfast," she told him and smiled when he sighed through his nose and kissed her once more, long and slow.

...

"Stableboy."

David's skin crawled at the sound of her voice but he quickly turned around all the same with a polite and respectful expression that he managed to pull off without smiling. Cora didn't care for her staff smiling at her anyway. She preferred them stoic and respectful, "yes, Ms Mills?"

"My daughter has a scar on her lip."

"She does."

"Why?"

"I would imagine it was due to the cut on her lip."

"And what on earth possessed you with the thought that it was your place to try and heal it?" She inquired with a threat and the man before her stayed well within the lines provided to him.

"She came here late in the night prepared to go ride on her own. I escorted her to assure no harm came to her. Her lip looked to be getting worse as the time passed so I took it upon myself to heal it before infection set in," he replied simply and she stepped closer to him.

"And what exactly did you heal her with, stableboy?"

"The roots of a dittany plant. The magic is more potent in the roots than the leaves and stem and therefore it heals wounds faster. Hurts though," he answered simply. He had always wondered how J.K. Rowling had known of such a plant.

"And how is it that a simple man such as yourself knows of such a trick?"

"My mother used it often in our household. She used to send me to gather it for her. Between myself and our sheep, there was always an injury to heal."

"And were you aware that this scar cannot be removed?"

"With your magic?" He inquired and her expression remained deadly and furious which gave him his answer. Also had him smirking on the inside but wouldn't dare let it show on his mouth or in his eyes, "I did not. I apologize, I was only trying to keep her well. If it is any consolation, I do not believe any suitor will find it ugly. If anything it only adds to her allure," he stated as plainly as he could and Cora studied him carefully with a scrutiny unheard of.

"My daughter has found herself in an inexplicably chipper mood today."

"Glad to hear it," he nodded, unsure of where this new line of conversation was going. Especially when she hummed shortly in response.

"You and her have grown close have you not?"

"I suppose you could say that. She does spend quite a bit of time here."

"Yes. Tell me, stableboy, are you sleeping with my daughter?"

"Am I-? What? No, of course not. She is undeniably beautiful but I am not a fool. She has far better suitors than I anyway. She deserves the best and her place in life has offered that to her. I wouldn't dare step in to the way of that. Not to mention I value my life more than I do teasing the idea of sharing my bed with your daughter. Besides, it wouldn't take much effort on my part to find a woman to quench any desire I find myself overwhelmed by."

"See to it that it stays that way, stableboy," Cora bit and the man stayed quiet and respectful, "for if I catch word that you have gotten too close I will cut you in to a thousand pieces while you are still breathing, do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly."

"Good. Make sure the mares are in fine shape and condition for my journey in two weeks time."

"Yes ma'am."

"You keep up this work and I just may have to learn your name, stableboy," she drawled as she turned and walked away.

David waited until she was completely out of eyesight before he scowled and rolled his eyes. He knew it was as close to a compliment as he was going to get from her but he wasn't fishing for compliments from her. He preferred it when he had zero contact with her whatsoever. So he rolled his eyes and went to tack both of the woman's black mares. He may as well get started conditioning their stamina now. Cora did so love to push her animals to their very limit.

...

"Is mother going somewhere?" She inquired as she wandered in to the stables after dinner.

"Hmm?" David replied as he pulled his attention from the wood he was carving in his hand and up to the woman walking toward him.

"You were working both mares today. You only start doing that when she asks it of you and she only asks it of you when she is planning to go somewhere and wants them to gallop the majority of the way."

"Oh that. Yeah she said she was leaving in two weeks," he answered from his stool and Regina nodded. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Especially while she still wore that same purple town from that morning. The one that flattered her figure so impeccably.

"Did she say where to? Or for how long?"

"No," he answered simply and continued to stare up at her in admiration and she noticed and smiled down at him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"That's a whole lot more than nothing on your face, stableboy," she smirked and he smiled back.

"Well I can't see my face so I wouldn't know," he teased and she laughed as she took a couple steps closer. Close enough for him to place his knife and wood to the side so he could curl his hands around the back of her thighs and encourage her just a little closer. Then he pressed a kiss to her stomach and she let out a quiet and peaceful sigh out her nose.

"How was your day?" He asked with a genuine desire to know as he wrapped his arms around her thighs and rested his chin on her stomach.

"Ordinary," she shrugged as she slid her hands over his arms and to his face, her eyes flitting over every kind feature of his, "how about yours?"

"Oh nothing special. Threatened by Cora that if I so much as touch you she will kill me slowly. 'Cut in to a thousand pieces while I am still breathing' were her exact words, I believe," he stated rather plainly with a touch of humour that Regina tried to smile at. "What?" He prodded softly and she shook her head as her fingers followed the line of his hair behind his ear.

"I just...do you think she will ever understand?"

"That you and your happiness are enough?"

"Yes."

"...Eventually," he answered quietly as he recalled the state his dear queen was in after Snow tricked her in to killing Cora. He knew better than anyone what Cora's last words were to her daughter and he knew how much they meant to Regina. And how much it killed her that they were the last she heard.

Once more he had followed a thought somewhere deep inside him and Regina wasn't all that convinced she should inquire what it was. The expression on his face made her spine tingle with unease. She believed it was the combination of sorrow and sympathy that twisted with pain and darkness. She didn't want to know where his answer was drawn from.

"You are not allowed to bring any mirrors in here," he told her and her brow furrowed at the random change in topic, "or any polished metal for that matter."

"Okay...why?"

"The queen I knew used mirrors and similar reflective surfaces to watch her victims. She and Cora were alike in many ways, different in many more, but I would hate to learn the hard way that Cora has taken up such a practice."

"And if she puts something in here herself?"

"I will notice it," he answered as he stood and her hands on his face fell to rest gently on his abdomen, "if I notice before you visit and I am unable to get rid of it, I will mark a stone in the wall by the door with chalk."

"Well we should set up a word or a phrase to let the other know when we have noticed something awry. That way we won't accidentally misstep and get caught," she told him and he smiled down at her in a way that she couldn't help but grin at. He was proud of her. It was nothing huge but it was there he was impressed and proud.

"It would have to be something malleable so that it doesn't seem out of place in the circumstances we find ourselves in," he nodded and and leaned in to him as she pondered the thought.

"Well...how about something simple like...making note of something that would seem out of place if you thought too hard on it."

"Hmm...have you seen the fox that chases the mice?" He asked as his arms wound tighter around her and he didn't think he was ever going to get used to that unbridled joy that made her grin so wide.

"I have. It's going to send the cat out of business," she continued the practice ploy and laughed when David smiled.

"Easy enough," he surmised and she laughed a little more. Laughed until he kissed her. Chaste at first but as her laughter faded and she focused, he did urge it a little deeper. She was grinning the whole time. She was happy and that made him happy, it was as simple as that.

"How is your lip?" He asked gently and gave her one more kiss before he let her answer.

"Fine. I rather like the scar. It reminds me of you," she smiled and he smiled back as his thumb slid over her ribs. Then she shrugged, "it also infuriates my mother so that isn't too hard to enjoy," she smirked and gave him one more kiss which had him laughing quietly in amusement. And then slowly it faded in to comfortable silence as the pair of them stayed close and studied one another.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly and her lips pulled in to a smile but her forehead was creased as though she was frowning as she shook her head.

"I really don't," she answered quietly and he nodded in simple acceptance that erased whatever small worry she held that he would push the topic.

"Okay," he complied easily as he tucked her hair behind her ear, "but if you ever do, I will not turn you away. No matter the topic," he promised and she smiled softly for a moment.

"Thank you."

"Of course," he assured and shortly after the words left his lips, she was kissing him. He sighed against her mouth as he kissed her back and she let herself melt in to him even further as her hands slid down and around his middle. It felt so good to be wanted. It wasn't that Snow didn't want him, it was just that she already had him. The dynamic between them had changed and that was mostly his fault. He had let himself fall for another woman and as her lips moved with his and her fingers explored his body, he found he had completely forgotten about Snow. Instead he was shamelessly delving in to this beautiful woman who put every ounce of herself in to loving him and making sure he knew how much.

Her kisses were slow and tender as she coaxed him in to the murky lust just as any skilled siren would. His hand wandered up to her neck and while his fingers curled around the nape of it and threaded through her silky hair, his thumb stayed on her jaw so he could feel it move with every kiss. He loved feeling her. "You are beautiful," he breathed through his foggy mind and she hummed against his lips as his other hand spread over her chest on his way to her neck. He was having a hard time making himself enjoy the build up when all he wanted to do was take her against a stall door right then and there.

He couldn't wait until Cora left.

 **Regina**

She didn't know what she was doing with herself. Belle was still downstairs going through books that Regina knew would give them no answers, Henry was in his room doing his homework with a plate of snacks, and she had just gone to her room and laid on her bed. She left her shoes on the floor beside her and simply laid on her back and stared at the ceiling with her arms over her stomach.

She was lovesick for a man she shouldn't even like. But her insides were on fire any and every time she thought about him. Especially when her memory pulled rank and sent her to that first night. She really and truly had meant to kiss him and go on a wild power trip and then rub it in their faces when the curse broke. But when she kissed him, her heart took her power trip away and sent her in to a dangerous spiral of treasuring affection and intimacy. She had surrendered to him and it left her in absolute pieces. Pieces that she couldn't put back together because he had taken so many for himself. He softened her, weakened her, and as much as she hated it, she was also rather sure it was for the best anyway. He had taken such vital pieces of her armour that night that it left so many soft spots that Henry and Tink and Emma and even Snow were able to find and latch on to.

She was happier and less lonely, she was more emotionally stable with them near, just all around she was better. However it also meant she felt the loss of him greater than she ordinarily would have. That night had both ruined her and gave her the ability to change. The only problem was that she wanted him. She wanted him close, she wanted his touch, she wanted his kiss, she wanted him back in her bed so he could do to her again what he did before. Again and again and again.

 _Her voice rang through her room as her back arched off her bed and his hot breath blew down her neck. He didn't stop and she loved that he didn't. He just kept going and going and_ going _as her muscles convulsed with her climax. Over and over and_ over _again, jolting more and more pleasure deep inside her as she cried out his name through a hoarse throat and dug her nails in to the back of his neck._

 _His pace was steady and slower than what she would usually demand but he was hitting all the right places so she couldn't complain. He was heavy and his firm hands moved slowly up her ribs and down her thigh as his hard thrusts kept her from breathing. When her head pushed back in to her bed hi_ s _mouth latched on to her throat in slow wet kisses that made her want to cry more than they should have._

 _She knew better, she knew this was only going to hurt in the long run but it felt too good to stop. It had been too long since someone had cared and even longer since she had felt cared for. It was her weakness._

 _She was out of breath and his quieter moans and groans echoing in her ears had shivers coursing through her skin. She was a mess of arousal and various emotions as his heavy hands explored her body with an attention to detail she had never felt. Her head was spinning and her vision was spotty as he stilled inside her and let her recover but his hands and mouth never stopped moving._

 _She whimpered and she panted as she squirmed beneath him, torn between wanting more and getting away. And then she was being lifted and she hooked her legs around his hips as his hands kept her up by her waist. His hard cock was pressed between them and it did nothing to cool the warmth boiling low in her belly. Nor did his lips hovering just over hers. She was dizzy and they breathed one anothe_ r's _short and heavy breaths as her arms slowly wound around his neck and her forehead tipped to rest against his._

 _When she kissed him it was slow and it was deep. She opened her mouth to him and he did the same for her despite the fact they already couldn't breathe. When a hand left her waist to tangle in her hair at the back of her head, she let out a long and low moan that had him furrowing his brow and tightening his grip. Then he moved forward on his knees until her back was against the wall and her headboard._

 _He pinned her there and when he felt she wouldn't slip down he slid both hands up her sides and over her arms, convincing her to let go of his neck as he stretched her arms above her head and intertwined their fingers. Never once breaking their kiss. Not until he dropped his mouth the the side of her neck and slowly dragged his hands down her arms, over her sides, and to her hips. Her hands fell gently to the nape of his neck and she held her breath as she watched him slide back inside her. Like everything with him, it was slow and allowed her to feel everything and when he filled her completely she let out a sharp little sigh that was strangled with arousal and her panting breaths returned._

 _She had forgotten sex could be so intense and intimate. She buried her face in to his neck as her legs wound tighter around his hips and her fingers raked through his short hair just so she could immerse herself in him as he started thrusting again. Sliding in and out of her with hisses and whispered comments on her beauty or how she felt around him while she moaned and whimpered and tried to breathe. His god damn hands were everywhere. She loved his hands._

 _This was the best mistake she had ever and would ever make. She breathed curses against his ear as she lifted her head and pressed it alongside his and he placed kisses on her shoulder in reply. He felt so good._

 _"I am going to come," he breathed in to her hair and her sharp breaths carried delightful little whines that made it harder for him to focus._

 _"Don't worry about it," she breathed back and curled around him as the pressure coiled inside her. Her teeth clenched together as her brow knitted together with her ever constant moans and whimpers of encouragement. His even rhythm was growing unsteady and a little quick but she didn't mind. She loved that too. "Fuck," she whimpered against his neck and gave a small cry of pleasure against his shoulder as he started to slam in to her a little harder. Not too much to shatter the mood he had created but definitely enough to cause her body to jolt with every one._

 _His breaths grew heavier and more hoarse and his body twitched as he came inside her with a moan of her name. It was more than enough to send her over with a cry of pleasure. And like the previous ones, he didn't stop. He was a very generous lover sh_ e _had found and as he caught both her wrists in his hand so he could stretch her arms above her head again, he made her feel the full force of his work. Her muscles demanded she curl in on him as she orgasmed but he didn't allow for it. He muffled her screams with a sloppy kiss as his body vibrated with the after effects of his climax._

Regina jumped when her door opened and pushed herself up on her elbows, slightly bending her knees as well in preparation to get up if her intruder required such. But it was only Tinkerbell and Regina merely scowled at her as she continued in to her bedroom.

"Alright so, I know you're having a hard time, and I know you're all heartbroken and sad, but I think," she pointed at the ceiling and then grumbled a little as she climbed on to Regina's bed and over her legs to the other side of them, smiling a little when Regina pulled her legs up a little with her confused frown. There was a pretty good chance that no one but Henry had done such a thing and Regina being unable to respond to it was both sad and amusing.

Once placed beside Regina with her legs stretched out in front of her, Tink continued, "I think that it is time I intervene as your best friend and let you forget about all the shitty things going on right now," she finished with a smile and the confused and baffled look on the queen's face had her grinning even wider.

"What are you doing?"

"I just told you. I am here to make you forget about all the terrible things going on in your life right now."

"You are not my best friend."

"Honey," Tink drawled sweetly as she reached forward and placed a hand on her thigh. A gesture that had Regina glancing down at it and then back up at her, "you're adorable."


	10. Chapter 10

**I forgot how much I prefer typing on my iPad as opposed to my phone. The things you discover when your phone dies lol! Anyway, sorry for the delay. I had a hard time putting this together in a way that was smooth to read and a couple scenes got pushed to the next chapter. Which simply means the next chapter is partially written ;) I hope you enjoy it! Things will be heating up soon ;) Please leave a review! I love hearing from you guys!**

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Henry had managed to wait until he had finished his homework before he went to investigate but his curiosity was peaked the moment the music was blasted in his mother's room. And that was just where it started. First there was music, then there was her laughter, then there was Tink's exuberant voice, which was then followed by hysterical laughter and shouting. Really it was a wonder how he had finished his homework at all with such an extraordinary ruckus going on down the hall in the room that was was only ever disturbed by the sound of a hairdryer or a shower.

He had managed it though and was now quietly making his way down the hall and peering in to the room. Instantly there was a grin on his face. They were dancing. Or rather, his mother was dancing and Tink was flailing. His mother was trying to control her flailing and mould it in to some sort of respectable form of dance but Tink would just give up and start singing a song of her own creation about how she was never going to dance and that Regina should accept her 'wicked dance moves'.

Whatever lovechild Tink had created between twerking and jazz hands had his mother laughing absolutely hysterically. Bent over, eyes closed, a hand over her stomach, the whole ordeal. Henry had never once seen her laugh that hard, it was strange and wonderful and hilarious and he was completely helpless against the laugh that bubbled in his throat.

"Henry! Tell your mom the my dance moves don't need to be tamed! This world can handle me!" She practically shouted in her enthusiasm as she laughed and danced a circle around Regina who was still laughing hysterically.

"Um...on advice of council I respectfully decline to ever tell her that," he laughed and grinned a ridiculously wide grin when his reply sent his mother in to a new fit of laughter.

"Hey! I have watched enough crime shows on TV to know what that means! Now," she pointed as she half skipped to him and took his hand so she could pull him in to the room, "you will watch and learn, boy. This one I like to call 'The Electric Toothbrush'. Ready?!"

"Um..."

"Oh my god, _no_!" Regina laughed as she leapt forward and covered Henry's eyes.

"Shut up, Regina!" Tink laughed loudly over the music as Regina hugged her son in to her so his back was against her chest. When Tink reached for him, Regina turned them away a quarter of a step so she couldn't reach, "he needs to see this!" The pair of them simply kept laughing and her hand remained over his eyes, "it will expand his knowledge of the world of dance!"

"it certainly doesn't need to expand in that direction," Regina denied with a shake of her head and Henry just laughed and laughed.

"Fine then, I'll show you!"

"No-!"

"It goes like this!"

 **David**

He frowned when he was shaken awake. Even though it was gentle and he could hear her voice he still frowned and turned his face in to his pillow with a deep inhale. It only resulted in her laughing softly beside him as her stilled hands pushed on his shoulder once again.

"Wake up," she laughed softly and he groaned in to his pillow in distaste at the thought of leaving his warm bed and venturing in to the cool night. "Come on, you lazy oaf," she laughed again but when she tried to push on him again, he reached out a hand and hooked it around the back of her knee and started pulling. Amused, Regina followed the pull until she had her knee on his bed and then his hand slid higher until it found the hem of her jacket and started pulling that. With a roll of her eyes and a truly amused laugh, Regina took his not so subtle hint and slid beneath his blankets and pressed herself right in to him.

Only then did he move. He rolled on to his side with a slow exhale and quickly took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her. Draping one over her waist and sliding the other beneath her neck to support her head. Then he tightened his grip around her to slide her even closer, only stopping when he was able to nuzzle his nose in to her cheek and rest his forehead against hers. With one final huff of an exhale from his nose, he settled and stilled.

His body felt like liquid. Languid and sleepy. He would have dozed off again had it not been for her quiet voice snapping him back to the waking world.

"David."

"Hm?"

She hadn't thought she could adore him any more than she already did. She hadn't seen him sleepy before though and she had proven herself wrong. She found a whole new level of adoration, "I want you to come with me."

"I want you to stay here," he countered drowsily and nudged his nose a little further in to her cheek, "in my bed."

"Well it appears we are at an impasse," she stated and she grinned because she just couldn't help it. He merely grunted shortly in agreement and didn't move. "David," she called once again and he let out a long exhale through his nose in protest. It only made her grin wider.

"The only thing that I will wake up for at this moment in time is if you start taking your clothes off," he mumbled sleepily and nuzzled his face in to hers a little deeper as he tangled his legs with hers. He didn't even care about the fact she was wearing boots. She was warm and she was in his arms and that was all that mattered.

Curious as to what his request would bring out of him if it was fulfilled, Regina moved her hands to her coat and slowly started undoing the three buttons over her stomach. She thought perhaps he had fallen back asleep until she pulled the scarf from her neck and felt his forehead furrow against hers in sleepy confusion at the sensation of wool sliding between them. It was only when her polished fingernails gently clicked against the pearl buttons of her black leather vest that he felt the need to see what she was doing.

With a sleepy inhale sucked in through his nose, he pulled back his head and opened his eyes for the first time that night only to focus on her fingers slowly opening one button at a time. Her vest was low cut as it was and she was already three buttons down which left a swath of soft skin running down her sternum and between her round breasts. Skin that was paled by the cold full moon coming through the window behind him. It took time for him to completely wake up but time seemed to slow down as he watched her fingertips moved to the fifth button, trailing down the line of her body where her sternum ended and her muscles began.

She was beautiful and sexy and as he rolled her on to her back and kissed her he wondered if she knew that. The moment he was on top of her she gave a heady moan against his lips that had him furrowing his brow and dropping heavier on to her. The arm that had been under her neck remained there after he rolled her but the other did not stay so still. His hand started at her chest and slowly slid down over her breast as she opened her mouth for him. Another moan sounded off against his lips at the contact and her breath grew shaky and inconsistent the lower his heavy hand traveled.

Once it got to her hip she bent her knee and hugged it against his side so his touch could seamlessly travel over her ass and down her thigh to the back of her knee. She was a shaky and quivery mess in seconds. Moaning and whimpering constantly and she wondered why he found such pleasure in simply touching her. Not that she was at all complaining. She loved his hands just as much as he loved to use them on her.

There had to be more than just touches though, more than just their hands feeling and exploring one another. It was thrilling and pleasurable but it just wasn't completely and entirely satisfying. There had to be something more. She had just never felt it before. But she knew there was something. Something she was rather certain he would give her.

"You are making it very difficult to say no to you," he breathed with a low growl to his voice before he kissed her again and put his back in to it. She moaned again, long and tainted with a whimper while his mouth stayed caught with hers in a long hard kiss.

When his lips parted from hers he pulled his arm out from under her neck and pressed a wet kiss to her throat when she tipped her head back deep in to his bed. "Say no to what?" She whispered as his teeth nipped at the side of her neck and his fingers traced her collarbone while the others curled and slipped beneath the waist of her black leather pants.

Her arousal was completely out of control when his fingers fell from her clavicle and started to trace the swell of her partially exposed breasts. Starting at the top, dipping down around the inside between them, and then curving underneath until his fingers met the black leather vest. Then he repeated the pattern on the other side, watching his own fingers and studying her body while she tried to remember how to create a lucid thought.

"Not while Cora's here," he breathed and shivered at the small and sharp whimper she gave when he dipped his head and placed a kiss right over her heart.

"She won't be waking up," she promised on a shaky moan as his mouth found her neck and his hand slid up over her breast so his thumb could rub the spot he kissed.

"Heavy sleeper?"

"No. I tainted her tea this afternoon. She won't wake up until late morning," she explained against his ear and sucked in as best a breath she could when his kisses paused, hovering just over her skin. Close enough to feel his lips curve in to a smile before he lifted his head so he could look her in the eye.

"You drugged your mother?" He stated in search of clarification for he was entirely unable to believe what he had just heard.

"It's very effective. And consistent."

"You've drugged her on more than one occasion?" He stated in disbelief with a laugh lacing his voice.

"It is a wonder how she hasn't figured it out yet," she replied on an exhale, her mind not even remotely focused on the conversation they were having. It was on his fingers still hooked in the waist of her pants as they now slid and travelled along the line of her waist. From one hip to the, oh, there, in the middle; she wanted him there. He seemed to know it too. Smirking bastard teasing her as though she knew what he could do to her. He wasn't playing fair, she didn't even know what she was in store for.

Slowly, he dropped his head once again and kissed her, slow and thorough until she purred and he sighed. "What did you intend to happen tonight if you went through such lengths to incapacitate dear Cora? Because I know this wasn't what you had in mind," he smirked while her hands took fistfuls of his simple linen shirt.

"It's the last full moon before the snow falls," she answered and he hummed as his fingers started sliding back to the hip they started at. Her breath caught in her throat with an erotic little moan when his hooked fingers paused to linger and swirl just below her navel and above the apex of her thighs. She found herself slightly rocking her hips in response and she continued slowly just because it was releasing some of the new tension he had created while he toyed with her clothing and her skin.

"There is a herd of unicorns that travel through our property every year at this time. I wanted you to watch them with me. But I find I am quite content to stay here with you instead," she breathed and he gave a smug grin that she really barely even noticed for she was in such a hopeless state.

"I would love to watch your unicorns with you," he told her and before she could protest, he kissed her once more. Sucking and nipping and kissing those plump lips before he easily climbed over her and walked away from his bed to get dressed. She didn't move. She stayed on her back with one knee up and her arms now laying limp and bent over head on the bed. It made him laugh softly under his breath and he left her to pout as he started to remove his sleeping clothes.

Yes, she was pouting. He left her there in a confused mess and she wanted him to come back but she knew how hard it was to change his mind. It took her months of effort and a mental breakdown on her part to finally convince him to be with her. She wasn't all that motivated to try and get him back in to that bed with her. He was too stubborn and her mind was entirely unfocused. Her attention was caught though by the flash of moon paled skin at the foot of the bed and she propped herself up on her elbows so she could better see what he was doing.

Her stomach twisted in arousal and a heat she was now intensely aware of grew even more concentrated between her legs as she watched the muscles move in his back. The movement that had initially caught her attention had been him pulling his shirt over his head and now she was soaking in every inch of his strong back. And then he let his pants fall to the floor and the moan that lodged itself in her throat caught her by surprise. But the sound only had him throwing a smirk over his shoulder before he pulled on a more suitable and fitted pair of pants and effectively took away her view of his fine ass. Not that she really had any to compare it to but surely it didn't get much better than that.

Laughing softly to himself as he finished buckling his belt, David contemplated once more the idea of getting back in that bed with her. But even drugged in to a heavy sleep, he was still wary of Cora. Besides, he wanted to wake up with Regina in his arms the next morning and he knew he couldn't get away with that while Cora was on the property. So he picked a shirt and then dug for a clean cloth before he turned around and walked to the bed so he could crawl on top of her again.

Instantly her warm hands were exploring the skin revealed to her and a moment later she had lifted herself just a little higher so she could kiss him. He hummed against her lips and as her raised knee hooked around the back of his thigh, he lowered himself down on top of her until she was laying flat on her back once more. Her kisses were full of unbridled passion and need and he was almost pulled in. Almost. His hand moved down her side and over her hip to her pelvis and while she rocked her hips in to his touch with a moan that had her fingernails scratching down his chest, he tucked the corner of the cloth in to the waist of her pants and stopped the kiss.

She was panting and frustrated and he was no better as he grinned down at the horny little thing she had become. "Clean yourself up," he instructed softly and lowered his head to kiss that sweet spot just beneath the corner of her jaw and as she whimpered he spoke against the lobe of her ear, "the chafing would be extraordinary in these pants, darling."

She could feel him smirk against her skin but it only had her shivering and wanting him to continue. But even with her fingers digging in to his skin he still got off the bed after leaving one last kiss on her neck. He told her he would meet her down in the stables but her mind was still foggy and she took a few minutes to come back to herself.

Even once she had though she didn't understand his instructions. Not until she moved to sit up and the action of moving her legs led her to discover she was incredibly slick between them. It was an odd and slightly disconcerting feeling but the fact that he knew it had happened and had no judgement or distaste in his tone gave her comfort and the fact he had been smug about putting her in such a state finally brought a smile to her lips.

Ass.

...

They had only had to walk down the hill from the stables before Regina had stopped and spread a thick wool blanket out for them to sit on. When he sat down and began unfolding the other two blankets to wrap around themselves he was interrupted by Regina promptly sitting in front of him and between his legs. It made him smile and laugh a little and he proceeded with his task as she leaned in to his chest and stayed there.

Eventually he had gotten one blanket spread over their legs and the other wrapped around his shoulders and held closed by her fingers buried in its warmth. Then they simply waited and he kept his arms wound tightly around her middle and his chin on her shoulder. She hadn't spoken more than a few words since she had come down from the loft but he did notice she had left her scarf up there and that she had also left the top two buttons of her black vest undone to give him a generous view of her cleavage. She had closed the three buttons of her royal blue jacket. Nice and snug around her narrow waist. Really that was the only thing that was back to normal.

"Talk to me," he told her softly and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. She didn't answer at first and he really didn't expect her to. She was Regina after all. But eventually she did tell him.

"I am frustrated. And angry that I love you too much to take it out on you," she told him with a frown and hugged the blanket tighter around herself and therefore him as well.

It was then that he realized just how deep he had burrowed in to her heart. It warmed him from the inside and it reached every part of his body as he wound his arms tighter around her. She wasn't talking because she was upset but she was sitting in his arms and against his body because she loved him regardless. For Regina Mills to set aside her anger with someone to instead be as close to them as possible was a huge deal. It was very humbling and warmed him with pride and honour and an even deeper respect for her.

"I want to do this right, Regina," he told her softly and wasn't sure if she was distracted by the first unicorn tentatively making its way out of the tree line. Probably not. "I have no doubts that we will finish what we started tonight and that we will do it many times over again. If you truly want to have sex tonight I will be easily swayed. But I know it will be far more enjoyable when we are not worried about her catching us. I want to make you feel good and I want to make it last. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms and wake up without you having moved and without you having to leave right away. I want to do this properly but if you insist, I will eagerly make love to you right now on this hill in front of all these innocent unicorns," he told her and then smiled when she laughed.

She loved that he held her closer whenever he laughed. It was as though he realized that his arms had gone a little slack and that it was unacceptable that she was no longer pressed to his chest. And as much as she hated that he was right, his plan did sound better and more rewarding than what had sparked between them not an hour ago. She was going to have to read in to this 'sex' thing lest she be completely caught off guard. "Only to spare the unicorns," she agreed with a mild grumble to her voice that had him humming a gentle laugh next to her ear before he kissed her temple.

"I am looking forward to the eve of your mother's leave," he smirked and she hummed a single short laugh as she tipped her head back in to the front of his shoulder. He was more than startled when he was greeted from behind by a sharp and loud snort and he jumped with a low yelp as he twisted around only to meet the eye of a large unicorn. Perhaps large was an understatement. He didn't think he had ever seen one so enormous.

Regina had looked behind them at the sound too but while David eyed the stallion warily, Regina smiled affectionately. "I've never brought anyone with me before," she explained simply and at the sound of her voice, the dappled grey stallion flicked his ears to her, "let alone a man. He is defensive for a reason," she noted softly with a gentle underlying tone of regret for mankind.

David was in complete awe by the impressive stallion. He kept his enormous head hung low so that one dark brown eye was in line with his pale blue and the other was watching his herd. His coat was marbled with dark grey and bright white dapples while his mane was black as the night itself. His spiralled horn was ivory and ribboned with strands of black of various widths and it was at least two and a half feet long, if not longer. At its thickest point at the base, David wondered if he could even wrap his hand around it. He hadn't even seen a horse that large. He had to be nearly twice the size of Rocinante.

"Here," Regina offered and David warily took his eyes away from the stallion and looked at the palm of her offered hand.

"Sugar?" He stated in disbelief as he looked at the ordinary lump of sugar in her hand. The kind one puts in their tea. She merely nodded and laughed softly.

Skeptical, David took it from her and carefully offered it to the stallion. He wondered, for a moment, if the stallion would reject his peace offering and take his whole hand instead. But with another snort that flared his nostrils, the stallion contemplated the sugar and then just like any ordinary horse, he lipped it from his palm and happily crunched it in his teeth. It had David laughing in delight and relief and as if to say 'you are alright, tiny man, I approve' the stallion snorted a third breath that ruffled David's hair before he playfully lipped at his head. David laughed and out of instinct he lifted his hands and laughed even more when the stallion let him push his head away only so he could come back and lip at his hair again.

"Stop it," David laughed and Regina laughed in utter amusement with him as he tried to push the playful stallion away. Finally he managed to still the giant beast with a hand over his nasal bone and the other stroking his cheek. "There," he laughed and continued to pet his cheek and took the time to enjoy how soft he was, "that's better."

"You're lucky he didn't kill you," Regina smiled as he leaned heavier in to David's chest, "he doesn't tend to bat an eye when a man gets close to his herd. He usually kills them right on the spot, no questions asked. I've seen him do it several times. Some years when he brings his mares through here he is more red than grey with the blood he's spilled."

"Well thanks for the warning," he retorted and she laughed and shook her head as she offered the stallion a second lump of sugar from her own palm that he eagerly took without a thought to hesitate.

"I knew he'd like you. You are kind and you have a good heart. No different than his. He lives to protect his family. I've known him since I was a child. Sometimes I feel like he comes through here just to check on me. There are several far faster routes to get to his summer home," she mused softly with a small smile and laughed quietly when he moved his attention from David to herself and allowed her to touch him.

"Have you ever ridden him?" He asked with a smile and realized he had hit a raw nerve when she fell silent and her touch on the stallion changed enough for the stallion to lower his head further in to her lap as though he was comforting her.

"Once," Regina answered softly as her fingers circled his kind eye. "It hadn't been a particularly good week and when I saw him I ran to him and he must have known I was hurting, he must have know I was in distress for he stood there when I ran. He waited for me, he didn't spook or shy away. When I got to him I hugged him as best I could but he's so big I still can't wrap my arms around his whole neck. He let me cry and he curled around me and after a little while he invited me on to his back.

It would have been rude to decline such an incredible offer of trust and I had always wanted so desperately to let him take me somewhere where I could forget about this place. He did just that. For one glorious night I was nothing but a girl galloping through the night on the most infamously vicious unicorn who would rid me of anyone who dared step in our way. It was so freeing and reassuring. I have never received a more selfless gift.

It is fascinating how they get in to our heads. I know it frightens many people but I find their magic extraordinary. How they can interpret our emotions, how they can decide to be compassionate, or how they look at you and you just know without a doubt that they are thinking at a level that likely surpasses your own ability. They are so different from horses," she trailed off gently as she traced the sharp edge of the stallion's cheekbone.

David had heard many tales of unicorns both good and bad. He had heard of both their vicious tendencies and their ability to crush a man to death with their skillfully aimed hooves or spear them with their sharp horns, and he had heard of their gentle and kind nature when encountering a woman or a child. They could be sexist beasts at times but there were several occasions where he found himself unable to blame them. Especially there in the Enchanted Forest.

"They truly are fascinating creatures," he agreed softly and as he pressed a kiss to Regina's temple, the stallion focused back on him and David was fascinated to find Regina's description quite accurate. The stallion made him feel like he was being watched by Regina's father with a shotgun in his lap. It was bizarre and rather hilarious and far more threatening than any man with a shotgun.

"Do you want to go play with the foals?" She asked before she pressed a kiss to the unicorn's face.

"I would love to."


	11. Chapter 11

**I am so sorry for the delay! This Christians has been chaos! Lol! I hope you enjoy the update! It's time for me to go run and finish a drawing and finish Christmas shopping hahahahaha so read and relax for me ;)**

 **Also, with the way I ended it here, the next chapter will be pure M Rated goodness ;)**

* * *

He stopped sweeping when he heard footsteps running toward the stables. It didn't take more than a few moments for his guest to show herself and he was delighted to see Regina jog inside and then slow to a walk with a huffed breath through her wide smile. "Morning," he greeted as she stepped up to him with her hands behind her back.

"I brought you something," she grinned and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Oh? What is it?" He smirked and she laughed low in her throat as his hand slid around her waist to the small of her back.

With her hands still hidden behind her, her eyes fell to his mouth and then she looked back up at those bright blue eyes of his. They were lit up with joy and curiosity and that playfulness that she just adored, "I need a kiss first," she told him with a smirk and with a playful raise of his eyebrows, he tugged her sharply in to him the rest of the way so her body was pressed to his. She laughed through her grinning teeth at the gesture but her legs had nearly swooned beneath her with the way her heart skipped. She nearly moaned at the gesture. She loved this man and she loved it when there was no air between them.

"Is that so?"

"It is so," she grinned and nodded and he hummed thoughtfully as she laughed.

"Very well then," he nodded as he reached to the side to rest his broom against the wall. She was grinning the whole time in thrilled anticipation and he had half a mind to make her wait longer just so he could look at her smiling like that. But kissing her won out in the end and he pulled her flush against him once more just because he could. And it was so deliciously far from chaste.

When her laughter faded in to a low hum he parted from those soft lips only to kiss them again. "How about now?" He asked against her lips and she gave him one more deep kiss just to make him smile before she moved her hands in front of her to reveal her gift to him. He let her step away only far enough for him to see what it was and he laughed happily and quietly when he did. A soft leather bound book about the size of a standard magazine back home but with far more pages in thick parchment and then a small wooden box that he assumed to be filled with various drawing utensils.

"You once told me you could draw. I want you to prove it," she smirked and was absolutely thrilled by the pure delight on his face as he took the box and the book from her.

"Thank you, Regina," he laughed happily as he studied the gifts, "it is a wonderful surprise."

"I thought it time you received something for all your work here," she smiled as she leaned in closer with no other intent than to just be as close to him as possible.

"I receive plenty," he assured gently with his smile nowhere near fading.

"Money is not nearly as rewarding. Everyone gets paid for their work," she reasoned and his smile seemed to get even brighter.

"Well there is also a bed. And the kisses don't hurt either," he grinned and she laughed through her teeth as the corners of her dark eyes creased with joy and amusement. And then she was kissing him with her hands on either side of his face. It was just a happy and playful kiss that would have likely grown in to something far more passionate had his temporary alarm not gone off. It was quiet because he had made it as such but it was enough to steal both their attentions when the horseshoe on the wall by the door fell on to a stack of folded wool blankets with a quiet and slightly metallic thud.

Someone outside had triggered it. They had stepped on or caught their toe on the thread that he had tied to a thin nail which he had carefully placed through the smallest of cracks between a couple stones of the stable's wall. With a mere half a centimetre left protruding on the inside, he had hung an old horseshoe on it so that at the slightest change of the nail, the horseshoe would fall. He knew Regina would never trigger it for she always came straight down the hill without so much as acknowledging the path. Cora on the other hand...

He frowned at the disturbance and bumped his nose against Regina's cheek while her head remained turned to the source of the sound slightly behind her. She didn't know what it was nor did she know what it meant but he knew she would catch on without missing a beat as he stepped past her and her hands fell from his face, "I think I'll try my luck at filling the first page with that damned fox."

"The one that keeps stealing the mice?" Regina laughed in quiet amusement, a rush of thrilling adrenaline coursing through her veins when her mother stepped in to the stables mere moments after David started their previously agreed upon ploy. It was seamless and effortless and he was nowhere near close enough to her for Cora to really prod at what they were doing together.

"That would be the one," David laughed lightly and then addressed Cora with a small respectful nod as she walked up to them with a suspicious scowl. He didn't give her so much as a straw to grasp at though and neither did Regina.

"If there are enough mice to lure in a fox then the cat isn't doing it's job and should be disposed of," Cora stated plainly and knew her softhearted daughter was biting her tongue to keep from standing up for the old feline but her eyes were on the stableboy. He simply shook his head in denial.

"I'd say quite the opposite actually. He's made a habit of going all the way to the forest to hunt. I'll just lock him in here for a few days so he can see all the food he's missing out on so conveniently close to his bed," he improvised pleasantly with a small shrug and saw Regina pursing her lips to hold back a wide grin. Cora simply hummed shortly in disinterest and looked him up and down once more.

"Regina," she called sharply as she turned and found her daughter completely stoic and devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

"Yes mother?"

"What are you doing down here. You should be in the library with your studies."

"I had a few minutes to spare before our usual schedule began. More than enough time pass along an old unused sketchbook. He has been doing spectacular work here and deserves a little extra enrichment for his free time," she told her carefully and Cora stared at her for awhile. She was moving to leave for the library before her mother even inhaled to speak.

"Go to the library," she instructed sharply and watched Regina briskly make her way from the stables without another word or glance over her shoulder. Then she turned back to look straight at the stableboy. He simply blinked at her and waited for her to speak. "I am loathe to admit your time here has indeed brought this insignificant stable and our horses to a condition finer than they ever been."

"Thank you."

"You are also the only stablehand who has stayed under our hire for such a long period of time. Why?"

He wanted to say everyone before him probably left due to her ridiculous requests and raging temper. But he didn't, "I enjoy the work here. It's quiet, the pay is fair, the room is generous, and the routine is therapeutic. I have no reason to leave. No desire to. The sketchbook is a thoughtful gift though. I know that my work here is ignored most of the time and I hold no quarrel with that; I actually prefer it. But it is still nice to be considered every now and then."

"Well do not expect it to be a regular occurrence."

"Of course not," David shook his head in a single and subtle motion with the smallest and most polite smile he could muster, "it was but a pleasant surprise."

"Indeed. Are the horses ready for this afternoon?"

"Of course. And I will give them both a light workout before you leave so they may pull for you without injury or strain."

"Very well."

...

Cora's mares. She had selected them for a reason. For one, they were full sisters and practically identical in appearance because of it. Cora did so enjoy uniformity. And second, they were hot blooded. They were quiet in the stables so long as he followed the routine to the minute but the moment you had them tacked up and ready to work, they were complete monsters. They were trained to run, they were conditioned to run, they were keen to do their jobs, which meant they were notoriously finicky if their task was delayed or their routine was changed.

David was strict with them and he was from the moment he started working with them lest they kill him in their tantrums. It wasn't exactly their fault. They were bred to be as such and trained to follow their breeding. Regardless, he worked with them both and with repetition and consistency, Cora's beloved show horses could be very easily handled.

That was something the old carriage driver's son did not respect. He was new there and young and arrogant and when he pulled away from the mares' routine despite his father's instructions, all hell broke loose. There was shouting, kicking, rearing, flying hooves, screeching whinnies, swearing, shuffled gravel, the whole nine yards as the eldest sister kicked her front legs up in the air and twisted her head and neck to escape the younger man's harsh hands. When he didn't let up and kept pulling, the eldest mare tried to kill him on her way down. She didn't know her striking hooves would kill him, she wasn't a vicious creature by any means. She just wanted him to stop and hitch her younger sister to the carriage first because that was the way it went.

She squealed and crushed the gravel beneath her hooves and the younger man yanked on the the reins as he tried to stand his ground. The pair of them just kept escalating higher and higher which had the younger sister prancing and rearing mildly in the grasp of the old man shouting at his son to stop. The young fool was lucky David got to him before Cora did. She was on her way down the steps with Regina and Henry tailing behind but before she could end the chaos with her magic and a snapped neck, David's right fist connected with the man's jaw.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He shouted as the new hire stumbled to the ground as the reins slipped from his fingers and the elder mare squealed one more time as her forelegs kicked the air and her hind hooves scraped the gravel. "Hey!" David shouted as he spun to face the mare. She dropped back on to all four legs with a snort and pinned ears but she quickly backed off and away when David took one lunging and authoritative step toward her. It didn't help that both mares had already gotten their muscles warm and their blood pumping before he had handed them off to the driver. He hadn't made it very far before the son ignored his father's instruction to simply hold the fiery elder mare.

With her left to stand on her own and enthusiastically chomp on her bit in frustration, David turned back to the young man furiously pushing himself up off the ground, "explain!"

"These horses are demons!" He shouted back and the stablehand pivoted to look over his shoulder at the mare behind him who was now completely still aside from her huffing breaths through flared nostrils. It only infuriated him further and made the ache in his jaw run deeper.

"These horses are of a quality you have clearly never dealt with! They are a completely different animal than your standard horse and therefore need to be treated in a completely different manner! Your father has worked with these two mares for years, what in the hell possessed you to believe that you would know better than he?! This property is run the way it is for a reason! It is efficient and strict and you are in no position to be stepping outside of your boundaries lest you wish to lose your head! Your job, boy, is to listen to your father and do exactly as he tells you. Do I make myself clear?" He snapped harshly and clearly and the young man gritted his teeth and debated whether or not he wanted a second punch to the jaw.

"Yes."

"Go hold the mare and stand there," he told him sharply and knew the moment the man moved that the mare had put a less than friendly expression on her face for he hesitated before actually stepping around him to the horse.

"If you wish to keep all of your limbs I suggest you refrain from touching my horses again," Cora halted him shortly and David looked entirely unbothered by her overruling his command. She liked that. His respect of her power had always been something she liked about him. When the insubordinate young man quickly stopped and looked her way, Cora watched with a fine attention to detail in her peripheral as David nodded to the driver and he quickly responded with buckling the younger mare to the carriage without a word.

"You are not to step on this property again. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I suggest you leave now while my bloodlust is low," she told him frankly and he was quick to react and start walking while the stableboy took it upon himself to tend to the second mare and get her quickly and seamlessly positioned and attached to the carriage next to her sister, "and take your father with you," she added coldly as she walked toward the carriage and the quiet old man fumbled for words.

"I hope this doesn't come off as rude, Ms Mills, but I believe that to be a rather unwise decision," David spoke up in a coolheaded voice as he threaded the reins through the harness and both mares grew antsy with their knowledge of what was coming. A long road to gallop to their hearts' content.

"It is rude, stableboy, and you will be taking his place. Now get up there and let's go. We have a deadline to meet."

"I am afraid I am going to have to respectfully decline," he told her politely and looked her right in the eye. Instantaneously there was a tension in the air between them that you could pluck with your finger and everyone else around them was dead silent and watching with wide eyes. The only sound to be heard were the impatient paws of hooves on gravel and the chomping of teeth against steel bits.

"Excuse me?"

"I believe it best you keep Harold as your driver for at least the extent of this trip for I am grossly underprepared. I haven't a slightest clue as to where you are going let alone the fastest route there. Besides, it would be entirely impractical to remove me from the stables without anyone to take my place. You have never held a quarrel with his work before and I hold him in high regard and trust that he will take great care of the horses as he always has while they are away from home," he told her simply, choosing every word and tone paired with it as carefully as he possibly could.

She simply stared at him completely flabbergasted by the fact he was denying her direct order. Had he not had plans to fuck her daughter in to oblivion that evening, he very likely would have obeyed. But he did have plans to fuck her daughter in to oblivion that evening. So he carefully and skillfully denied her request. It was like weaving through a minefield. Quite literally he could die or lose a limb if he misstepped so perhaps it wasn't like a minefield. It was a minefield.

The tension only grew heavier between them and the silence felt like it was ringing in his ears as he held her deadly dark eyes. She was weighing her options and that brought him reassurance. She could very easily be rid of him. All it would take would be a flick of her wrist or a hand plunging in to his chest for his heart. But she only stood there with a hand on the door of her carriage as she stared at him. The tension was only broken when the mares lurched forward half a stride in irritation and impatience and snapped Cora out of her thoughts of murder or mercy.

With a scowl at the mares and the old man soothing their impatience, Cora conceded. The stableboy was right anyway. Another thing she would never admit aloud. He would be a hinderance of a driver this trip and there was no one to look after the useless old grey and the mutt of a chestnut her daughter so adored, "fine. You will accompany on the next event. Consider yourself promoted to my personal groom," she told him with smooth and bitter sarcasm as she opened the door and stepped inside the carriage.

David nodded in compliance and stepped forward to close the carriage door tightly, sparing a glance to the old man who nodded his thanks for saving his job. David simply nodded once more and stepped back as the carriage rolled forward and the fired young man walked down the road after it. Then he looked to Regina and her father just because there was no one else to look at.

Henry was as quiet as he always was and watched the carriage disappear down the road but Regina's dark eyes were focused on him. She was tense and her chest fought against the bindings of her low cut corset with every heavy breath she expertly kept silent. It was a look of pure lust and desire in her dark eyes and it went straight to his gut and made it flutter with warmth. Something had turned her on. Something had made her utterly horny and it was clear to him that she was using every last bit of energy to keep herself from jumping on him and climbing him like a tree. He had never seen her so desperate for release. Not even his queen back in Storybrooke. Not that he had had many opportunities to play such games.

"Come child," Henry called for her attention softly and immediately her eyes were on him, "let us go back inside."

...

She couldn't stand herself. She was a distracted mess all afternoon. No one had ever said no to her mother without severe consequences and not only did David manage to pull it off twice in one go, he had done it so he could spend time with her while Cora was away. He had risked absolute hell so he could spend a fortnight alone with her. Two weeks without having to worry about Cora catching them. Two weeks of what she was sure was going to be absolute bliss. Two weeks that she almost lost. But David was strong and brave and smart and he had managed to do what no one had done before. Change Cora's mind and still maintain their spotless reputation in her cold eyes. Twice.

The tension had been so high between them and Regina had thought for sure that David was going to lose the argument and then suffer for it. It had had her heart racing and pounding in her ears but the fact that he was standing up to Cora had her weak in the knees. No one had ever stood up to Cora for her sake. Directly or indirectly. Until that afternoon.

She was distracted and unable to focus on anything but how smug that damn stableboy would be when he learned she had been wet ever since he had closed that carriage door. Not to mention the anticipation of what he was going to do to her when they were alone. She was a hopeless mess. She had lost count of how many moans she had almost been unable to swallow when her thoughts wandered to his mouth and hands on her skin. Or how many utensils she had nearly dropped during dinner.

She was a mess. Hot and bothered and she didn't know what to do about it. She only knew that David was going to fix it. When her father grew tired of her accidentally clattering her silverware against her plate in her absentmindedness, he excused her from he table and she tried not to sprint from the room. However, as soon as her lungs sucked in the fresh air outside the manor's walls, she was running down the hill to the warm glow of the lanterns shining through the fogged windows of the stable. She didn't even notice the chill in the air.

She just needed to get to him and once she got inside and closed the door behind her he was looking back at her in mild confusion. And as she stayed with her back against the doors to make sure they stayed shut, David swivelled his head to look out the window. Probably checking the colour of the sky. To be fair, she was there at least two hours earlier than she ordinarily would have been had her father not excused her to do as she pleased with the rest of her evening.

"Everything okay?" He asked as he looked back at her she was there much earlier than he had expected her to be. Not that he was complaining when she pushed herself off the doors and threw herself at him. She was frantic and needy and having her pressed up against him and kissing him with such uncontrolled passion had him moaning as he furrowed his brow. It was rough and messy and when she started pulling at his shirt while her breaths came out in heavy pants against his lips, he turned her and shoved her against the wall.

As a result she sunk down a couple inches in absolute pleasure with a whimpered moan as she pulled at his shirt. She loved it when she used his strength on her and in the state she had found herself in, his force felt better than ever before.

"What has gotten in to you?" He breathed as he pressed himself right up against her and she moaned again as she bit his chin. She had never done that before. Not here anyway. She had only given playful little nips here and there. She had never actually bitten him or dragged or teeth over his skin to replicate what he always did to her. It had him falling victim to her antics faster than he would care to admit. Not that fucking her hadn't been his sole plans for the evening anyway.

"You've made me a mess," she moaned out as she ground her hips in to him because she knew it would feel good even if it wasn't enough, "you need to fix it," she breathed and then started to pull at his shirt again because she wanted it off. She wanted more skin, she wanted more muscle, she wanted more of him, and he finally gave it to her when he helped her pull his shirt off over his head and crushed her lips in a fervent kiss.

His hands roamed her body and tugged at her clothing while hers dragged over the muscles in his abdomen and back. He always knew when he was kissing her right or when his hands found just the right spot for her fingers would dig in to his skin and she would moan against his kiss. Then he was pushing her up the wall, lifting her until her legs were wrapped around his hips and her fingers raked through his hair and dug in to the back of his neck.

"You haven't answered my question," he told her against her open mouth before he dove in for another kiss. He kissed her hard and long, taking more of her breaths until she couldn't breathe at all. He kissed her until she was even more of a shaky and frantic mess and then he moved his mouth to her neck so she could catch her breath and answer him as her nails scratched his scalp and her throat vibrated against his tongue with another moan.

"You defied my mother," she breathed on a sharp exhale that was cut off with an equally sharp gasp when he bit her neck. "You blatantly refused her wishes and you did it so well that you got promoted," she continued as his fingers scratched down the side of her thigh wrapped snuggly around his hip. "You used that silver tongue of yours to spend time with me," she breathed against the shell of his ear and he moaned against the hollow of her neck, "did you do it for me? Or for you?" She asked even though it truly didn't matter. He lifted his head though so that his lips were hovering over hers and if she tried really hard she could almost put his eyes in focus as he stared at her lips.

"I told you we were going to finish what we started. However, as mutually rewarding as this will be, I changed Cora's mind for you. I simply cannot let you go another night unfucked," he answered and she started laughing the moment her lips pulled in to a grin. It was rich and low and tainted with a heated moan. It was a shame to cut it off with an open mouthed kiss but he did it anyway. With those words left said between them, she was even more eager to tear the rest of his clothes off. It seemed getting mother dearest off her back was an emotional trigger that left her in desperate need of human contact. Deep and intimate human contact.

He could understand that. Cora was one hell of a tyrant and any one of her prisoners would bond to their liberator. Regina already loved him and had already let him in to her heart so the act he previously thought to be rather insignificant in his mind turned out to be something so much more.

Something he was quite prepared to exploit for their benefit.

So he kissed her harder and pulled on her thigh so he could grind his hardening cock against her and hear her whimper against his mouth.


	12. Chapter 12

**Alrighty now it's really an M Rated story ;) lol! Sorry it took me so long! I know I say it every time I post a chapter but it doesn't make it any less true. I hope you enjoy it! Please leave a review!**

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Carrying her up the narrow staircase in to the loft had been entirely less than graceful. Even if they hadn't been trying to devour one another on the spot, the task still would have been graceless. But he managed it. With her legs clamped around his hips and his head in her hands as they kissed with as much passion and need as they could muster, he had made it to his bed and dropped them both down on it.

She was moaning and whimpering and panting as she clawed at him and it had him groaning and pulling at her until her coat was removed and she was left in a very thin and loose ivory shirt. Whatever it had been made of was translucent and so thin that it draped over her slim figure and round breasts in a way that just made him want to tear it from her. So he kissed her again, hard and slow as one hand braced his weight next to her and the other travelled heavily down her body and over the soft fabric.

She whimpered louder and her nails dug deeper while she ground down harder on to his thigh in search of the release she so desperately needed. But something made him pause as his thumb worked over a pebbled nipple and as he broke the kiss and felt her panting breaths against his lips, he almost forgot why he stopped.

"Have you done this before?" He asked and she remained silent long enough for him to know she was debating her answer. So he leaned in closer and kissed her lips once more and his hand never stopped working over her breast, "tell me the truth so I don't hurt you," he urged softly and she finally whimpered at his persistent thumb and the sound had him moaning softly as he dropped just a little heavier on to her.

"No," she breathed timidly, worried that he may stop because of it. She would kill him if he did. But he didn't. He only paused to think for a moment or two but before he gave her the time to get really worried, he kissed her again and the anxious tension in her body left in a moan against his lips.

He had paused because she had reminded him of how different she was to the queen he knew and how young she was. He paused because he did question following through with sharing his bed with her. But it was hard to argue over morals when his hard cock was throbbing so close to a woman he knew was wet and hot and ready for him. She wanted him and he wanted her, she had been waiting and so had he, and now he was having a pointless argument with his spinning moral compass that couldn't even decide where to point. So he kissed her and found his answer.

He wasn't stopping.

"There are rules to this," he breathed and she huffed in pure arousal to try and catch her breath. A losing battle when his fingers started working open the first button on her shirt, "rule number one: I will stop the moment you tell me to. You are safe here, I will never hurt you unless you ask me to. You will always be safe with me, you never need to worry about that."

He was answered with a whimper as she pushed herself up on to her elbows so she could better see what he was doing on top of her. The wild desire in those dark eyes and parting those kiss swollen lips was almost enough to make him forget what rule he was on and it was only the second one. "Rule number two: you cannot be silent. If there is a sound in your throat I want to hear it. Be it a scream or a moan or a curse, I want to hear it loud and clear," he told her and she grinned and laughed quietly through her huffing breaths.

"Rule number three," he started and then kissed her sternum as his fingers continued down her buttons, "you may do whatever you wish to me and suffer no consequence. You may bite and you may scratch and there will be times you will not be able to help it. I will not have you feeling guilt here for anything you do," he told her and then nipped at her skin a little lower as he pulled the soft thin fabric from the waist of her pants.

She was moaning and squirming and he was quickly losing his ability to resist her, "rule number four: there is no shame and there are no secrets between us with this. You must tell me what you like and what you don't like so that I may do more of what you like and never repeat what you don't. You must also tell me what you want to try so that we may try it," he told her as his hands slid up over her bare sides and stomach as her open shirt slipped off her sides but remained caught on her raised shoulders and round breasts.

She was smooth and soft and strong and as his hand spread over her stomach and he could feel the muscles contract with every sharp breath, his desire for her grew to an uncontrollable height. His nails dug in to her skin just enough to make her moan and he looked her straight in the eye once more, "rule number five. The most important of them all," he told her and her exhale quivered in anticipation, "your mother must never know."

She grinned at that. And then laughed a moment later just because she was relieved. There was no pressure on her to make their relationship known, he wanted it hidden just as much as she did and they wanted it hidden for the same reason. It was a relief and it gave her such a rush to have found someone with the same thoughts and desires as her. She couldn't stand it anymore. She nodded once to let him know that she agreed but half a second later she was sitting up far enough to catch him in a rough and fervent kiss as she pulled her arms from her sleeves and tossed the garment to the side.

He pushed her back down on her back but her nails in the back of his neck kept him from getting to where he wanted to be. So he humoured her for awhile longer and dipped his head as low as her breasts and once she felt his mouth over her sensitive skin, her hands loosened enough to give him free reign. When his hands found the waist of her pants, she took the hint and started kicking off her boots. It was uncoordinated and inefficient but eventually there wasn't a stitch of clothing on her stunning figure and his hands were free to roam every inch of her soft skin.

She twitched and shivered when his hand ventured along the inside of her thigh and her grip faltered in his hair for a moment when he nipped at the underside of her breast. "What are you going to do to me?" She panted through a heavy moan and a shaky whimper.

"I am going to fuck you until you can't see straight," he answered and she whimpered again and writhed beneath him in search of her release.

She didn't know what that meant exactly, his word choice had always been a little different. She imagined it had something to do with the world he lived in before he met her. She was usually able to figure out what he meant but this time she hadn't a clue. She knew she was about to find out though. Her heart was racing and she was slick between her legs once more as he insisted she let his mouth move lower. So she let him. She let go of his head and his wet kisses and sharp bites traveled lower and lower with his hot breaths. Shivers flew up and down her spine and raced beneath her skin, her heart raced faster and faster, and her voice was heard in needy moans as she pushed her head back in to his bed and followed his guiding hand and moved her leg over his shoulder.

When his mouth found the inside of her thigh she was jittery and anxious and desperate. He was close but he wasn't there, he was still teasing her and it was driving her mad. And then he stopped teasing. Her breath caught in her chest as her mouth opened with a sharp gasp at the sensations flooding her body. His mouth was strong ad warm and before she even knew what was happening, there was a loud cry that left her lips as her heel dug in to his back and her hands fisted his blankets.

It was pure pleasure and she was greedy for more. It just kept building inside her, warming her and shuddering her breaths, lacing each one with whimpers and moans of pure ecstasy as his mouth did things to her she didn't know she could feel. She was writhing again, shaking as she closed her eyes and fisted a hand in his hair. Even still the pleasure grew more potent. It coiled low in her belly and snaked around her every nerve like velvet. Her breaths were short and sharp and carried her voice in small gasps and whimpers as he continued sucking her.

"Oh my god," she whimpered and cried as she pulled on his hair and pushed her head in to his bed, arching her back off the mattress.

He had had plans to go straight to fucking her senseless but after learning that she had never done such a thing before he figured he should ease her in to it and refrain from hurting her. So as his tongue worked on her clit, he slowly slid two fingers inside her and revelled in the twitch of her hips and the cry in her voice as her hand tightened in his hair once more. Her leg clamped even harder over his shoulder and her heel dug deeper in to his back but he kept going and spread his other hand over her stomach to keep her from moving away from him.

He kept working. Relentlessly he licked and swirled and sucked as his fingers curled and pumped and she started to shout. Her muscles started to twitch and it had him working harder in just the way he already knew she loved. It had her shaking and squirming and he knew she didn't know what was coming next. Her breaths were sharp and short and his cock was throbbing with the lust to be buried inside her.

It wasn't long at all before she was screaming his name and fighting the hand pushing on her stomach so she could get away from his clever fingers and talented tongue. Now her legs were really quivering and her stomach muscles were convulsing beneath his hand as her orgasm hit her hard and he made sure it lingered.

"O-oh, ho! David! Ah-ha!" She cried as he pulled at his hair to keep him between her legs while her body tried to get away from his mouth and fingers. She didn't know she could feel like this. It was harsh and strong and amazing and she wanted more. It was the most potent thing she had ever felt and she cried his name once more, begging him not to stop as her muscles convulsed over and over again, flooding her with only the utmost pleasure. This is what she had been waiting for.

Then his fingers stopped what they were doing and disappeared but her mind was far too unfocused and frayed at the moment to notice much. His mouth was still between her legs but it had slowed and eventually she realized he was helping bring her down from whatever he had just done to her but that was only when his mouth found hers for a kiss. He tasted different and when she put together that he tasted like her, she was sent in to a whole other whirlwind of satisfaction and moaned against his lips as her hands raked through his hair and her arms wrapped around his head to pull him closer.

Her kiss was sloppy and but he didn't care, he knew she was still overcome by that first orgasm. So he moved his mouth to her neck so he could hear her raspy pants and feel her racing pulse as a hand kneaded her soft breast.

"That felt so good," she whimpered as his hot breath blew across her throat before he kissed it and kept her dizzy.

"I am just getting started," he breathed back and the strangled moan that left her lips had his fingers digging in to her skin. With one more firm kiss to her lips, David got off of her and stood beside the bed so he could quickly remove his pants. He was pleasantly surprised to see her follow him so quickly in her frazzled state but he supposed her focus had honed in on something new as she moved to the edge of his bed on her knees.

Shivers flew under his skin and shot up his spine when her fingers trailed from his sides to his hips and then down his thighs before going back up again. Her hot breaths had him enthralled with her as they blew down his neck and chest and when she pressed herself to him he was a lost cause.

"Do you derive the same pleasure as I when touched _just right_ ," she breathed against his collar bone as her palm rubbed heavily and slowly up his hard length, pressing it up against his stomach. She didn't know for sure but she felt safe to assume there was a reason his cock had become so hard and noticeable. Her assumption was proved correct when he answered with a huff of a hot breath as he turned his head in to the side of hers.

His hands over her bare skin had her breaths shuddering all over again. They were warm and rough but not too rough. Working hands over her flawless untouched skin. He was panting against her ear and she was gently scraping her teeth against his throat as her hand continued to rub him. Then he moved one of his hands down her arm and to her hand, slowly changing its position so her fingers were wrapped around him and pumping up and down. Teaching her by showing her.

It had her humming against his skin as she trailed her lips back down his neck and when his hand released hers so both could tangle in her thick hair, she took the liberty of expanding on the simple up and down. He tugged on her hair until he had stretched her up enough reach her mouth and kiss her. Hard and proper. She moaned with him as he swivelled his head and buried his hands deeper in to her hair while she added a slight twist to her motions on his hard length.

"You are," he started but was quickly distracted with another deep kiss and her thumb sliding over the tip of his cock. His skin was crawling with pleasure and his mind had grown even foggier than before. Her whole body was pressed to his. Strong and slim as she moved against him and arched her back in to him as she let him bite her bottom lip and pull. Her breasts were soft against his chest and he parted from the kiss just so he could tip his head and look down at them. She didn't mind. She simply proceeded to kiss and nip at whatever part of him she could reach while one hand scratched down his back and the other continued working over his cock.

"What am I?" She breathed and her ears waited for him to continue his statement as his breaths grew sharper and his hands gripped tighter. Just putting him in the state she had been in only minutes prior was almost enough to send her over that delicious edge of utter ecstasy all over again. So she kept her hand moving and working at him so that she could do for him what he did to her.

"Fuck," he huffed and detangled one hand from her hair so he could dig his nails in to her hip. With his forehead tipped against hers he shivered at the arrogant laugh rumbling low in her throat as she pumped just a little faster and pressed herself in to him just a little heavier. When he couldn't take it anymore, he pushed her down on her back and caught both her wrists in either hand so he could keep them away from him and where he could see them at either side of her head.

She looked concerned for a moment that she had done something wrong but he wouldn't dare let that worry stay in her mind for there was absolutely nothing she did wrong. "You are far too good at that," he huffed and she grinned and laughed quietly.

"I am a quick study," she teased and he gave a small laugh through his panting breaths. Each one of them carried a slight moan that had her arousal growing even stronger and the desire for that release becoming unbearable. "Let me keep going," she told him as her eyes focused on her lips and she slowly bent her knee so it dragged along his hip and side to encourage him lower.

"You are far too sexy, my dear, and I am afraid that, unlike you, I cannot cum as often in a single encounter," he explained with a playful smirk that she was oh so quick to mirror. She certainly was quick indeed.

"That is hardly fair," she smirked and he hummed shortly in agreement as his hands released her wrists and began to venture to her neck and her breasts. It certainly wasn't helping her focus.

"It's alright. I'll just be sure to give you enough orgasms for the both of us," he smirked and she laughed low in her throat and through her teeth. Then he kissed her again and her hands quickly took hold of his face so she could pull herself up and her shoulders lifted off the bed. Just like that their attention was pulled away from humour and back in to lust and arousal.

He did stop her though and she waited for his reason as they breathed one another's air and her hands stayed on his jaw and in his hair. "Are you ready?" He breathed and her answer parroted his intimate tone and volume.

"Yes."

"It may be a little uncomfortable at first but I will go slow and I promise it will feel good," he told her and she moaned softly as she tried to get closer to him, "I don't expect we will have any issues though. You are quite eager and quite wet," he smirked and he felt her lips pull in to a wide grin before he kissed her again. Once their lips parted, he pulled his head from her hold and positioned himself at a better place while she propped herself up on her elbows once more so she could see what he was doing to her.

He slid his length up and down over her clit and swore under his breath while she whimpered and rocked her hips in to the contact. And then slowly he pushed his tip inside her and she moaned and sucked in a sharp breath through her nose. Then he pushed in a couple more inches and listened to her whimper and moan as he slid out a little and then pushed deeper, repeating the pattern until he was buried fully inside her and she was a state of near hysterics over her need for him to make her cum.

"You okay?" He asked needlessly and she moaned and hissed through her teeth.

"That feels amazing," she pushed out as her hands took more fistfuls of the blankets beneath her and he laughed as he set one hand on her hip and dropped his mouth to her neck. "Fuck!" She cried and he laughed a little more and began rocking his hips to slide his cock in and out of her. It had her voice coming out in strangled whimpers and groans and soon enough her arms gave out and she fell flat on her back with her eyes closed and a leg hooked around one of his.

His breaths were hot and his bites were sharp and as he sucked hard on her skin she clawed at his back and gave a cry of pleasure. The thought that she was doing the greatest disrespect toward her mother's wishes of her had her toes curling in even greater delight and intensified every one of his quickening thrusts.

His initial gentleness still lingered but his actions were nowhere near the softness he had used while easing her in to the feel of him inside her. Now her breasts bounced in time with the steady slap of skin on skin that came with every powerful thrust of his hips. His fingers dug in to her thigh to keep her as close to him as possible and he had given up on trying to kiss her for her mind was long gone and sent further with every new jolt of utter bliss that tore her apart.

She was getting close to a second orgasm. He could tell by the twitching of her muscles, the frantic grabbing of her hands, and the quiver in her voice as her whines and moans started to grow to screams. He himself was hissing and groaning with huffed curses under his breath as he tried to focus on not going over the edge with her. He wanted at least one more round with her but it was hard when he had such a beautiful woman under him reacting to him so enthusiastically. She was so hot and so sexy and growing louder with every movement of his cock and every hot breath down her neck or breast.

And then she was there. She coming and screaming as her muscles vibrated under his touch and his fingers dug in to her thigh to keep her against him. She tried to get away, her body tried to pull her from the explosive and overwhelming orgasm but he kept her there and continued to fuck her as her face creased with that pleasure that is almost painful. Her hands fisted the blankets and she pushed her head back in to the bed with a series of cries and a few 'yes! Oh my god!'s thrown in to the mix. He was right on the brink of losing it but he pulled out just before he did and panted against her neck as he laid on top of her. She was quivering and panting and he absolutely loved that there was still a whimper in her voice.

She let out one more small cry in her aftershock as she rolled over away from him and on to her side to try and come back down from her high. Her entire body was buzzing and she had never felt so swollen and sensitive between her legs. Every movement resulted in a quick shock of pleasure that had her moaning all over again as she turned her head further and panted in to his bed. And then his hands were on her again. Slow and heavy as they started on her hip and went higher as his kisses found the base of her neck and caused her to shiver.

"How many times can I do that?" She breathed and he started laughing softly behind her. On its way back down her side, his hand dipped further in front of her. His fingertips swirled over her stomach and caused to it flutter and then it slid along the top of her thigh and curled around it just a little further so his fingers ghosted over where she really wanted him most.

"As many as you like," he answered with a bit of a smirk before he kissed her spine once more.

"Then I want it again. I want you inside me again," she told him and he moved his mouth to the side of her neck as his hand slid back up to her hip, "and I will have you know I am quite unhappy over how you kept this from me for so long," she huffed out as her brow furrowed in absolute pleasure when he bit her neck and slipped his other arm under her waist and kneaded his hand over her breast.

"I shall do my best to make it up to you then."

"You'd better," she nodded with a whine and an open mouth when she felt him sliding his cock back inside her. "O-oh," she whimpered and panted and started rocking her hips just to relieve some of the building heat and lingering buzz, "mmmm!"

"You are so beautiful," he huffed against her neck and then started thrusting as he pulled her leg up and back over his hip. The change in position had her crying out and pushing her face in to the bed for a moment as she reached behind her and dug her nails in to his hip. And then she was pushing the back of her head in to his shoulder and let him hear her voice loud and clear.

...

He woke with his arms wrapped tightly around her and her face nuzzled deep in to his neck and chest. Her breaths were long and slow with sleep and her arms were hugging him around his middle. It made him warm inside. It had been a long time since he had woken up with someone in his arms and even longer since he had woken up with Regina in them. He missed it.

So he laid there and he enjoyed it. He let his eyes fall shut again and took a deep breath only to smile when it was only her that filled his nose. She was warm against him and upon further realization, he came to notice the air around them was colder than it should be. So with a slight frown, he twisted to look behind him out the window and was greeted with a blinding light that had him blinking and squinting his eyes. The movement had Regina stirring awake and just as he identified the cause of the cold air and blinding outdoors, Regina spoke her first groggy words of the morning.

"What are you doing?"

"It snowed."

"All the more reason for us to stay in bed," she smirked sleepily as he turned his head and shoulders back to her with a quiet chuckle.

"I don't need anymore reason than that," he teased and he felt her smile against his chest. Eventually she did lift her head so he could see her face and he was smiling even before she blinked open those brilliant dark eyes, "good morning."

"Good morning," she smiled and then gave a long contented exhale. His bed was small. It barely fit the two of them and his blankets were nowhere near the softness and quality of her own but it was so much better than her bed. She wasn't lonely in his bed like she was in hers.

"You sleep well?"

"Better than I think I ever have," she told him and watched the corners of those bright eyes crease in delight.

"Are you sore?"

"I am perfect."

"Perfect enough for me to find some clever way to warm you up on this particularly chilly morning?" He smirked and a grin pulled on her lips and showed off her white teeth.

"I think so," she laughed and he hummed thoughtfully as his fingertips started trailing over her bare side beneath the blankets.

"Because I can think of a few..."

"Hmmm. And do any of these things require us to get dressed?"

"They absolutely do not."

"Well then I think I will approve of whatever method you choose," she grinned with a light laugh and he laughed as he kissed her.

"And the innocence is lost," he chuckled lightly and kissed her again as his fingers made their way back up her thigh.

"It was time it went," she assured playfully and he laughed a little more, "besides. I am glad it was you who opened my eyes as opposed to the king I will marry."

"You will not marry a king," he told her and she smiled at him in a way that said she was thanking him for his misguided but kind promise, "I will make sure of it."

Her smile remained unchanged as she looked at him and his thumb swirled softly over her hip. His expression was one of pure honesty and determination and it had her cradling his face in her hands as she leaned in closer and kissed him. It was slow and tender and she put every ounce of faith in him that he was going to follow through with his words. But it just wasn't enough. She knew her fate. She knew her mother. "I almost believe you," she whispered as she watched her thumb trace his lips.

"I hope one day you find it in you to believe me," he told her and she smiled a little for a moment but then it disappeared and she nodded once while her fingertips began tracing his cheekbone.

"I hope so too..."


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay so this chapter is really fuckin long lol but I couldn't chop it up in to two. I tried but it wasn't working out. Like you, guest reviewer who left you name anonymous, I was growing bored as shit with the way things were going lol! So I have switched it up! The pace will be picking up quite a bit and while there will still be Dream World Enchanted Forest scenes now and then (because I didn't get all of your requests in yet), the Storybrooke scenes will be far more frequent.**

 **Hope you enjoy the update! Please leave a review!**

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 _She should be thrilled that Snow and Emma were gone. Sucked through a hat and removed from the equation. She should be happy, her life should be easier. But it wasn't. Her son still hated her and David...well David still loved his wife. She liked to think that if the roles had been reversed and she found herself in Henry or David's place, she would react better than they were. But she knew she wouldn't._

 _So she sat at her dining room table in silence, miserable and alone until her front door swung open and slammed shut. She was on her feet in a moment and had turned to face her uninvited guest. She didn't storm up to him though like he did her. She simply stepped forward in to her foyer and let him charge at her._

 _"Bring them back."_

 _"David, I have already told you I cannot-"_

 _"That is bullshit, Regina! Bring them home now!"_

 _"You know as well as me by now that there is no way to do so!" She shouted back as her anger and heartache boiled and his continued to spew from his tight jaw and tense frame, "magic is different in this world! I can't even use mine properly! And you think I am just stashing away all forms of portal travel?! If I was do you think I would still be here?!"_

 _"I do! You are too proud to run away, Regina! You are comfortable here, why would you leave when you could just get rid of those who inconvenienced your ability to get the life you want?!"_

 _"Comfortable?! You think I am comfortable?! Are you dense?!"_

 _"Me?! What about you?! Are you so thick headed that you are unable to see that getting rid of my wife and daughter_

 _"You arrogant bastard! I did not send your wife away to better my chances of fucking you again! You saw my face before you blamed me for this, you know damn well I was as shocked as you were by their little vacation! If I wanted her out of my way you would never know it was me! And if I wanted to hurt either of you I would tell her exactly what happened between us! Do not take your anger out on me! You know damn well this wasn't my doing!"_

 _Her voice was loud and furious and she hadn't really noticed that she had gotten so close to him until she felt his livid breath blow across her jaw. And then he snapped. But not in the way she would have thought had she taken a moment to ponder every outcome of this argument._

 _He kissed her._

 _Her hands shot up and the air fled from her lungs when his mouth crashed on to hers and his fingers took fists of her hair. It was a single moment of silence that tore through the house but it was only a moment before his body pushed hers to the wall with a harsh thud and he worked her mouth open. His anger and heartache mixed with hers and that moment of silence gave way to heavy breaths, muffled moans, and that delicious sound lips make when they part from a kiss._

 _She was a mess in seconds._

 _She didn't stop him. How could she when she had been fantasizing and lusting over such intimacy with him since that lasagna dinner. She moved with him, opened her mouth to him, and kissed him like she had wanted to again for so long. She didn't know why he had kissed her in the first place but she was taking full advantage of his lapse in his ordinarily good judgement. It seemed he didn't care. His body moved against hers, it felt her and appreciated her and kept her pinned to the wall as his mouth made her knees threaten to give out._

 _It was rough and angry and heartbroken but also nostalgic. She could feel it in him. She could feel that he wanted more and she nearly crossed that line with him. But she didn't. She was so close but she could feel the pressure of a sob building in her throat when his voice quivered with one of his own against her lips. His hands tangled deeper in to her hair and gripped harder and his whole body moved and pinned her harder against the wall. She didn't know what he was doing but she knew it needed to stop, "David," she protested gently but he ignored her and kissed her again as tears burned behind her closed eyes._

 _"Wait," she insisted but was ignored once again and her hands moved from his chest to rest softly against his throat as he swivelled his head with his passionate kiss and made her furrow her brow. "Stop," she breathed and that time he obeyed. They panted their shared breaths and as her gentle fingers slid slowly up over his jaw, he tipped his head and rested his forehead against hers, "stop," she repeated just as quietly and felt the desire to cry with him when his nearly silent cry shook against her lips._

 _His grip loosened in her hair but it didn't disappear and his body remained pressed flush against hers as her soft fingers traced his face. Lips, jaw, cheeks, brow, all of it soft and so uncharacteristically gentle. "Why do you make sense?" He breathed miserably against her lips but she didn't have an answer. It seemed no one had an answer to the sudden feelings he held for this woman. She held a spot in his heart since the night he spent with her and once the curse had been broken he absolutely despised himself for what he had done. But as the hours and then days went on he found it only got worse._

 _With the knowledge he had now of who she was and what she had done, it made that night so much more important and vulnerable. She had given him so much and try as he might, there was nothing he could do to even remotely convince himself that she hadn't been honest that night. That she really and truly had and still was just a woman. Lonely and broken and in search of happiness. It confused him and sent his moral compass spinning to find north again._

 _He should be angry. He was angry but he should be more angry. He should be pushing her away, he shouldn't have gone there in the first place but he wasn't strong enough to leave. He tried to but he too was lonely and broken and in search of happiness. So when she dipped her head and her nose trailed softly over the side of his face, he turned his nose in to her hair and let her bury her face in to the nook of his neck. He felt his control slip away the moment her arms snaked around his middle in a strong hug and he shouldn't have started crying in to her but he did. He wound his arms around her head and shoulders and the pair of them once again let go of their bitter judgement and enraged feud and simply held one another and let the tears fall. It felt good to hold someone._

"You're thinking about him again," Henry noted and she looked to him with eyes widened in slight confusion.

"Sorry?"

"David. You're thinking about him again," he repeated and she was quick to bow her head and avert her eyes. She didn't vocalize her answer though. Her movements were answer enough. He had been keeping his mouth shut regarding much of whatever had gone on between her and David. He of course had many questions but he wasn't convinced he wanted the answers. Nor was it a particularly open topic to discuss. But he was going mad trying to figure out the best way to approach the subject so that he could finally get some answers.

He hadn't come up with anything so he simply asked timidly and kept his eyes on his mother's hands so that he didn't have to look her in the eye, "were you and David having an affair?"

Her answer did not come right away. It was a question she knew he was bound to ask at some point but had hoped he never would. "Not as...in depth as your definition may be...but I suppose...yes...we were..." She answered carefully and quietly and feared his reaction. He was quiet for a very long time and so was she.

"Did he make you happy?"

"...No...he made me...he filled a hole...a hole that I have been refusing to fill. He had to uncover it first and that...hurt and showed me how...lonely I am. I think I was almost happy though..."

"And that's why you miss him so much. He was taking your pain away," he surmised and she shrugged a shoulder as she subtly curled away from him. He had never seen her so vulnerable. She had never let him.

"I loved him for it," she admitted on the quietest of breaths as a tense finger slowly scratched at the smooth surface of her kitchen counter.

"Love," he corrected softly and for the first time in that conversation, she looked him in the eye. Big, hurt, and wary brown eyes that made his heart sore, "he's not dead and you haven't stopped feeling that way. You love him for it. Not loved," he explained and her eyes fell to the counter once again. "Does David know?" He asked and she gave the most subtle shake of her head.

"I doubt it..."

"Do you think he feels the same?" He asked and while her lips pulled in to a small smile, her brow furrowed in utter misery.

"No."

"How do you know?"

"Because. It is a ridiculous notion."

"I don't think so...you're pretty hard to let go of once you open up a little," he told her gently and she looked at him again. Her mouth was pulled in to a frown that wanted to smile but couldn't because his words meant too much and touched her too softly and too deep. When her eyes started to get glossy, he stepped up to her so he could hug her tight and she was quick to respond in kind. Her arms wound tight around his back and shoulders as she buried her face and hand in to his hair and took a deep breath.

"You are not as despicable as you think, mom."

"Not so sure about that," she breathed in to his hair as she pressed her eyes shut.

"I am," he told her and her arms wound even tighter around him, "I love you, mom, and there is someone out there that will love you too. It might even be David."

 **David**

These days that her mother spent searching for suitable suitors on her behalf were the days she treasured most. They permitted her to spend most her time with her stableboy without worry of being caught and him being injured or even killed. Probably killed. She loved that he understood that. There was no pressure to make their relationship known, she didn't have to worry about arguing with him over such a thing, she didn't have to worry about him going behind her back and telling her mother about them, and she didn't have to worry that he was hiding any personal distress over not being public. They were more than happy when they retreated to their private world hidden from prying and murderous eyes.

These days were her favourite and they were precious and rare and she woke with a smile every morning she woke in his bed instead of her own. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as her bed but that wasn't important. It smelled like horses and hay and him. It was warm and cozy and the sunlight leaked in through the window and the cracks in the wall that David had been meaning to fix and scolded her for distracting him every time he tried to follow through.

It was so quiet and so peaceful. She didn't want this week to end. She didn't want her mother to come back. There were only three days left of her absence.

She pushed that thought aside though as she carefully sat up so as not to wake him yet. With her legs tucked up beside her and the blankets over her lap, she twisted to look behind her only to smile as she rested her chin on her bare shoulder. He was fast asleep on his back with an arm over his stomach and his other stretched out beside him where she had been laying. Gently, oh so gently, she traced her fingers along his stubbled jaw, over his cheek, and then back to his temple and down his jaw and neck, withdrawing her touch once she had reached his chest.

He remained sound asleep and it made her smile spread a little wider. She loved him dearly. There was nothing she wouldn't give to be able to live out her days with him. She was well aware it was never going to happen but...she could hope. She could dream. Leaving him to his dreams, she straightened her neck and examined the items on his small bedside table. A couple of candles, a cup of water, a whittling knife, and a few of his whittled creations. Curious to discover more, she silently pulled its drawer open and was delighted to find an array of inks and quills and charcoals to go with the leather folder of parchment. They must be the drawings he had done when the book she gave him was out of reach.

Curiosity peaked, she carefully pulled the leather folder out and unwound its leather tie. Inside were indeed some of his drawings. The sight had her smiling and sitting back so her lower back was pressed to his side and she began studying each one in awe and delight. Most were of the horses or various parts of them, others were scenery or still life. Like pails or tools. Even a saddle or two. They were quite good for a stableboy. He had told her that he could draw but she had never seen any of his drawings until then.

Then there were some dogs, mice, a few hands, both man and woman. But what caught her attention were the faces in the drawings at the back of his collection. First there was a woman with very short dark hair and bright eyes. Pretty and simple and happy. He drew her with an attention to detail that led her to conclude he knew her personally. But she had never seen her before. The next face belonged to a beautiful blonde with long wavy hair. She looked as though she didn't belong in this world. She couldn't quite say why but she just didn't seem to fit. Again she was drawn as though he knew her. Perhaps he did.

Then there was a boy. A young boy with dark and tousled hair and a bright and easy smile that creased his eyes. It made her smile in return and shake her head. That smile disappeared the moment she revealed the last drawing.

"What are you doing?" He mumbled drowsily as he stretched and sucked in a long and slow breath.

"Who are these people?" She asked quietly and continued to frown at the last drawing.

"Which people?" He asked on his exhale as he rolled on to his side so his chest and stomach were pressed to her back and his lips left a soft kiss on her arm just above her elbow. She didn't need to answer.

He supposed it was inevitable she was going to find them but he had hoped she wouldn't have found them until he had a decent explanation for her. With a deep breath and a tip of his head in to her arm, he decided on honesty, "this is Mary Margaret. Or Snow. She answers to both. She...is my wife. But not here. Then this is Emma. She is my daughter. Much older than I had hoped to be reunited with her at but it is better to miss only part of her life as opposed to all of it. The boy is Henry. He is Emma's son but he was adopted as an infant by...her..." He trailed off as their eyes fell on the last drawing.

Regina frowned at the drawing once more as her fingers gently skimmed the woman's face. Her head was held high but her chin was dipped ever so slightly and she seemed to look straight at her as though her eyes were real. Her mouth was set in a slight frown. Or perhaps it was a small scowl...her lips were darker and her hair was shorter. It sat just above her shoulders in flawless waves and flips. Very much like the unique set of her mouth, the woman's eyes showed her conflict and her torture. They were empty and cold but at the same time they were overflowing with emotion. She was fascinated by how he had managed to capture it with charcoal.

She was beautiful, flawless, strong, scarred, and most importantly, looked exactly like her.

"Who is she? And why does she look like me?" She asked quietly and he rested his lips on her arm and studied the drawing with her.

"Her name is Regina," he replied softly and his lips brushed against her skin with each word.

"She is your Evil Queen isn't she," she stated quietly as her fingertips lingered on the woman's scar.

"...Yes."

"She is beautiful..."

"She is."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't truly know...I only know pieces and they are by no means pleasant," he answered softly and put his lips back on her arm as his eyes stayed on the drawing. He only truly noticed her tension when he wound his arms around her hips and he responded with a slow exhale as he moved his thumb over her bare stomach and closed his eyes, "Regina-"

"Are you still waiting for her to wake you up?"

David answered her with a small and tortured laugh against her arm and slowly shook his head, pushing his forehead in to her arm rather than resting his lips there. "I don't know what to think anymore," he breathed out rather miserably. He hated not knowing, he hated being confused.

"It is a simple question."

"It isn't when you don't know which life is real. Or which life you would choose."

"You knew I was going to get a scar because she has one. You know what is going to happen to me, I don't think you have a choice in which life you are going to live," she snapped harshly with a snarl as her tears pricked her eyes and resisted the urge to tear the drawing of his queen apart.

"Hey," he soothed and she refused to look at him as he pushed himself up in to a seated position and moved around her so one leg hung off the edge of the bed and the other stretched out straight behind her. If she allowed herself to do such, her side would be pressed against his front. But that wasn't going to happen with her so fenced off, "we are not caught in her life. I didn't know when or how you got your scar and therefore I wasn't able to prevent it. You are not going to become her, you will not become the Evil Queen."

"That isn't what her memories are made up of. Or her subconscious."

"Stop speaking of yourself as though you are-"

"What? A figment of your imagination?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that what I am?" She countered bitterly as she turned her head and looked him straight in the eye. He was frowning again and she loved his hands on her skin far too much to swat them away. One on her thigh and the other on her knee.

"I don't think I want you to be," he told her quietly as he looked back and forth between those brilliant dark eyes of hers. She so much resembled the Regina he once knew. Eyes and heart guarded with venom to hide her fear and insecurity and perhaps even a little touch of inferiority when considering the woman in the drawing on her lap. "They are my family. Or perhaps were my family. I miss them and I will never stop missing them. I will always love them. I know you have the capacity to understand that even if it is not to the extent of hers," he glanced at the drawing of Regina and then back to the woman in front of him, "I hope you are never able to understand it as well as she. I do not wish such experiences and teachings on anyone. Especially you.

I don't want them to be simply in my head. I don't want them to be gone forever. But I don't want to lose you either. I can't have it all, even if I had the option to have you all I wouldn't take it. It would be far too messy. My life with them was already messy. But here? With you? This is easy and calm and I value it. I appreciate it. I love it. I love you. I don't want this to be a dream, I don't want to lose you, things are perfect the way they are. I know exactly what started the chain reaction of events that created the evil queen and I promise you I will do whatever it takes to prevent it."

"...You love me?"

He hadn't quite realized those words had left his lips until she repeated them back to him. The realization made him pause and he found himself staring in to those expectant brown eyes. She was beautiful. Sitting naked in his bed with nothing but a ragged blanket covering her lap, her long wavy hair pulled over one shoulder and covering one of her breasts, the early morning sun shining in through the cracks of his walls and the tears in his small curtains, and the way her face was free of any make up, "of course I do," he breathed with a small shake of his head and a slight furrow of his brow.

"You've never told me before," she stated plainly, feeling the need to space herself from him despite only wanting to curl in to him.

"I was afraid to," he admitted softly and she frowned and furrowed her brow in confusion. It made him laugh. It was a soft and pained and he dropped his head so he could place a kiss to her shoulder. He lingered there for awhile. His lips on her shoulder and his eyes pressed closed. Of course she wouldn't understand. She couldn't possibly understand the extent of the heartbreak and distrust and fear in letting go of the person you had loved for so long so that you could love another. She couldn't understand the fear and anxiety that came with the risk of telling someone you loved them. Even if you already knew they loved you back.

How could she know.

Nothing had happened to her yet.

She stayed quiet while he tried to find his voice and her intuitive ability to react in just the right way at just the right time was something he never took for granted. She was trying and it meant so much to him. "They are my family, Regina, I miss them, I love them. They are important to me and it kills me that I may never see them again. But you," he shook his head as he lifted it and looked her in the eye, "you have-"

" _Stableboy_."

Both their hearts seized in sheer terror at the sound of that voice. Their eyes went wide with fear and their mouths went slack in disbelief. That voice cut right though the structure and flew effortlessly up the stairs to their ears as clear as though the woman was standing right beside them. It was a cold fear that settle deep in both of them and silenced their now rather unimportant argument.

Cora was not supposed to be back so early.

The overwhelming fear in Regina's eyes scared him even more but he put a finger to his lips all the same and she was quick to nod in reply as he quickly kissed her mouth and silently flew out of his bed and pulled on a pair of pants and boots so fast he impressed even himself. It was only a matter of seconds before he was snatching his shirt from a chair and stepping down the first step to see what the woman wanted. He did look at Regina one last time and she looked even more terrified than before as she clutched the blankets over her chest and held another hand over her mouth to keep completely silent.

He was looking straight ahead of him though by the time Cora was in sight. She was as cold and as harsh as ever as she looked him up and down while he tugged the hem of his shirt down over the last of his torso. "Ms Mills," he greeted politely and calmly, "I wasn't expecting you back so soon. I would have met you upon your arrival had I known."

"Do you often spend your extra time without a shirt, stableboy?"

"No," he assured and even found it in him to laugh a little as he shook his head, "it is far too cold for such things. I was trying to mend a small tear in the sleeve but couldn't remember where I put my needle. When you called I simply grabbed yesterday's shirt on my way down," he fibbed, filling it with truths to throw of any suspicion. He didn't know where his needle was, it was too cold to run around in no shirt without the body heat of another, and it was yesterday's shirt he had thrown over his head. She continued to stare at him though with an expression that he could not read.

He didn't let his anxiety show though and he hoped to god that she wasn't using her magic to check the rate of his heartbeat, "do you need something from me?"

"I came here to tell you that I have returned and that you will be joining Henry, Regina, and me on our next outing as previously discussed."

"Yes of course."

"Be ready for tomorrow evening then," she told him shortly and he opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again. Ordinarily she would have left it at that but this stableboy tended to peak her interest more often than not. So she allowed it, "what is it?"

"I just wasn't expecting another event so soon. I don't believe I have the proper attire to represent you and your family's status. I would hate to drive the carriage up while wearing rags."

"Are you asking for an allowance, stableboy?" She asked coolly and the man shook his head with ease.

"No, ma'am. You simply asked what was on my mind. I am quite capable of-"

"You shall have the allowance regardless," she interrupted and the man nodded his head, "I will not be the laughing stock of this party. When you are done settling the mares, ride to town and get yourself sorted. I expect you can handle yourself."

"Yes."

"Very well. We leave at dusk tomorrow," she told him plainly and then turned to leave but was stopped by his even voice.

"May I ask why you have returned so early?" He asked curiously and Cora paused for a moment with her hand on the door as she considered answering him.

"Queen Eva died. The princess' party was no longer a celebration and I care not for weepy children. A happy coincidence really," Cora stated plainly and the stableboy watched her without expression, "it allowed for Regina to make an appearance at a gala with more potential."

'Happy' he believed, but coincidence? Absolutely not. Queen Eva's health had been rising and falling like the track of a roller coaster since his arrival and it seemed that Cora was finally able to see it fall through completely. He knew he should be, but he wasn't even the slightest bit surprised that she would do such a thing. He already knew she was going to kill Queen Eva, but he didn't really know when. He did now though and he was going to have to start keeping an eye out for young girls on runaway horses. "That is very troubling news," he replied rather solemnly but not too grieving. Cora simply looked him up and down with that permanent scowl on her mouth.

"Indeed," she replied shortly and after holding his gaze for a moment longer in thought, she moved to open the door once more. But she was stopped by a thump above her head in the loft and instead, looked up.

David looked up as well and made certain his face twisted in confusion at the sound as though he was surprised to learn something or someone was up there. When Cora looked at him he looked back at her with a tight chest and an indifferent expression and when she looked to the stairs, he found himself praying for that fat barn cat to come crawling down them.

Cora could not go upstairs. Regina could not be seen.

 **Regina**

Regina didn't want to be there and she wanted to be there even less knowing that Snow was going to be there. She should have asked what Snow's favour was before she had agreed to it. Idiot. With each step that brought her closer to David's room, the deeper her anxiety set in. She had been doing well with Henry and Tink putting her back on track and keeping her supported. She should have brought one of them with her. It would have been ridiculous to pull Henry out of school though for a quick trip to the hospital and surely Tink had better things to do than to babysit her. She didn't need babysitting anyway. She would be fine. It was just a quick peek inside to see Snow keeping her sleeping husband company and hearing what she had to say that she apparently had to say in person. It would be quick.

Evidently not harmless though. The moment she pushed open the door, her heart jolted and her chest contracted at the sight of Snow perched on David's bed with his hand clasped between both of hers. Going there was a mistake. "Snow," she called plainly to announce her arrival and Snow turned quickly. Must still be habit to snap so quickly to the sound of her voice calling her name.

"Oh good you're here," Snow chirped as she climbed off the bed and skipped toward Regina who kept her extra hard shield in place. She didn't know why exactly Regina had started putting it up around her as of late but she knew it was because she was hiding a wound from her. She just didn't know what. She would get in to that later though, "I need to leave for a few minutes and I need you to stay here with him."

"...You called me here to babysit a vegetable?"

"Okay 'vegetable' is a little harsh even for you," Snow scolded but couldn't help the amused smile pulling at the corners of her mouth while Regina rolled her eyes, "and yes, Regina, I want to make sure he is with someone he knows when he wakes up and I know he would never admit it but I know he would rather wake up to you than Red or any of the dwarves and I can't pull Emma away from work right now. You're really the only friend he's made on his own. He was just sort of accepted by everyone else because he was associated with me but he had to work with you."

"Why does he suddenly constant supervision? You were visiting only twice a day and now you need a babysitter for him?"

"Whale says things have changed now. His brain activity is changing and he believes he is going to wake up soon. I just want someone here so that he doesn't wake up alone."

"I am not his friend."

"Well if you have a better word for it, please enlighten me," she told her and Regina remained silent as she searched her vocabulary. It made Snow smile, "that's what I thought," she nodded and placed an affectionate hand on the mighty queen's forearm as she slipped past her and out the door.

" _No_! Hey! I didn't agree to this!" Regina argued as she turned but she was answered with nothing more than a smirk before Snow disappeared behind the wall and continued down the hall. She scowled at the empty doorframe for an unnecessary amount of time before she relented and turned to look at David.

He was still fast asleep and the machines beside him continued to beep in a steady and uninterrupted rhythm. She didn't go to him though. She kept a wide birth as she walked around him and to the chair in the corner of the small room. It put her in line with his face but there was nowhere else to sit so she removed and draped her coat over the back of the chair and sat down with one leg crossed over the other. Then she quickly found herself enthralled in the profile of his face.

It made her heartsick. She hadn't seen those piercing blue eyes in so long. They hadn't looked at her in empathy, in kindness, in sorrow, they hadn't smiled at her or scowled at her, they didn't even have the audacity to fight her anymore. Not in too long. His nose hadn't been touched to her skin in even longer. No tender bumps or nudges, no attempts to smell her perfume on her neck, no slow breaths of sleep against her skin. His lips had yet to part and give her a word to let her know he was alright in there. They hadn't kissed her in the longest time.

With a shake of her head she scolded herself for such torturous thoughts and closed her eyes. It would do her no good to think of such things. It only brought her pain with the knowledge that she would never recreate her past with him again. She wouldn't let herself. She had decided not to. Despite how much she wanted him and craved him, she was saying no. So with a deep breath, she leaned deeper in to her chair and opened her eyes.

Before she could train herself to stare only out the door and wait for Snow's arrival, her eyes were caught by something else entirely. It startled her, scared the hell out of her actually as her body jumped and tensed and David's bright blue eyes stared right at her without blinking. His head was turned to her and her back was now pressed to the back of her chair as she stared back at him and the hairs raised on the back of her neck. It was unsettling. She had been studying his sleeping profile and after closing her eyes for no more than a couple seconds, she reopened them to find his eyes piercing in to the deepest parts of her while his face remained devoid of any emotion.

"David?" She called softly. Warily, even. His brow furrowed then and his mouth softened in to a frown, his whole face twisting in to a look of complete and utter relief as he finally blinked but still kept his gaze on her. "David," she repeated and she couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying when he turned his neck straight and covered his face with his hands. She was confused and worried and she didn't move from her seat as he sat up and started examining himself. She was no longer tense or nervous though.

She was only brought to her feet and to his side when he started pulling the wires from himself, "hey, hey, David, don't do that," she tried to soothe as she tried to stop his hands and his arms, "David, stop," she insisted but he ignored her and tears continued down his cheeks as the steady beeps in the room changed to a steady stream of constant noise to tell her they had lost his heartbeat amongst other things they were keeping track of. It was irritating as hell and clearly he wasn't dead, he just wasn't listening to her. So she turned her attention to the machines.

"David, stop," she repeated more sternly as she shut off all the incessant machines and he continued to pull at various wires on him and around him as he swung his legs off the side of the bed. With the room silent once more, she turned back to him to find him picking at the tape holding his IV in his arm. So she quickly pressed both hands over the needle and cord and he finally stopped and looked up at her, "stop," she breathed softly but her tone was insistent as she looked between the pale blue irises that filled her stomach with butterflies. And then he lifted a hand to cradle her face and as her heart throbbed and her lips parted in want and despair, his tears fell once more.

She was there. Right there in front of him balancing so effortlessly on those adored heels of hers, she was there. Her tortured eyes, her short hair, her tailored pantsuit, her gentle perfume, her raspy voice, her practiced make up. She was there and he was crying because she was real. "Regina," he breathed and she let him bury his fingers in her hair. She didn't say anything but the lingering touch of her hands on his forearm and the slight lean of her head in to his hand spoke volumes.

The thought that he was in Storybrooke and that one hundred percent of the town would passionately disapprove never crossed his mind when he kissed her. He had spent so much time loving this woman. It was as natural as breathing to him and despite the initial shock of the gesture, it seemed it was just as easy for her to love him back. Even in this world.

Her breath quivered out her nose as his fingers curled around her elbow and slowly slid up the back of her arm. She had told herself she wasn't going to do this, that she wasn't going to let herself love him but as the kiss continued she realized how hopeless that fight truly was and her own tears started to burn in her closed eyes.

His kiss was so comforting. It made her feel important, it made her feel treasured, it made her feel known. He was kissing her as though he loved her and it was she that bent to him this time. She lifted her hands and cradled his face between them as she opened her mouth to him and allowed him to turn his head. He kissed her slowly as though he was savouring her while his hands remembered her figure and her fingertips traced his face.

He was slow but he was not hesitant or gentle. She let him pull her close and she whimpered softly against his mouth when he did. Her hands started to shake as he continued to fill her racing heart with heat and her stomach with butterflies. She couldn't think straight and she could only focus on how many times she had dreamt about him waking up and kissing her first.

Her tears were falling when his mouth moved to her neck and she completely forgot they were in a hospital with the door wide open. She didn't care, she didn't remember. She could only feel her heart in her throat as his mouth left loving kisses upon the side of her neck. Her fingers raked through his hair as she turned her head just a fraction and pressed it in to the side of his so she was breathing against his ear. It felt amazing to be under his touch again.

"I love you," he breathed as he had so many times before and he heard the smallest of cries leave her lips in reply before he lifted his head to find her lips in a kiss once more. She was panicking and he could feel it in the tightness of her body and her jaw when his hands cradled it. As his thumbs rubbed gently to soften her jaw, she cried and he realized it probably hadn't been the best thing to say to her. But he kept kissing her and he kept wiping her tears away.

It was a wake up call that she didn't want. He didn't love her, he loved Snow, she didn't want this tension, she didn't want this stress. She wanted him but she didn't believe him. Especially given the fact he had just woken up from a coma. So she savoured one last kiss before she backed away. She curled from him and pushed her hands against him so that he wouldn't follow when she stepped back but when she looked him in the eye she was completely thrown. If she hadn't known any better, she would say his declaration of love had been entirely honest and that he meant every single syllable. His eyes were so kind and loving and his mouth was so gentle. But she could only shake her head and lift her hands to her mouth as she backed away further.

"Regina," he called softly in an attempt to coax her back to him. But she simply let out a choked sob and shook her head faster. And then she ran.

Regina practically sprinted from the room and dropped one hand from her mouth so she could grip the doorframe to help her turn in to the hall. She was not expecting to nearly slam in to Snow.

"Whoa!" Snow yelped in surprise as she lifted both coffee cups up and out of the way with a slight laugh and Regina tried to balance herself.

"I'm sorry," Regina breathed and quickly stepped around Snow. She did not need that conversation.

"It's okay, I brought you-" she stopped when she saw the tears on Regina's cheeks before she avoided her altogether and practically jogged down the hallway. "...Coffee..." Snow finished with a concerned frown as she watched Regina disappear. She had half a mind to follow her and find out what was wrong but with David's door so close, she peered inside first to see what had set her off in the first place.

"Oh my god, David!" She exclaimed in excitement as she hurried inside and put the coffees on the table. "Are you alright? How are you feeling?" She fussed as she moved to touch him but his gaze stayed on the doorway.

"Is Regina alright?"

"Oh, um, no actually...I was going to go catch her after I found out what set her off. And you're awake!" She laughed happily and blinked back her tears of relief and joy as she placed her hands on either side of his face. He took them off though. Gently as his focus remained elsewhere and she dismissed it as nothing more than him remembering where he was and what had happened, "what did you say to her?"

"Not much really."

"Well she left here in tears, David, so it must have been something. And she has been really helpful throughout this whole thing even if she has been emotionally closed off. She doesn't deserve whatever lashing you threw at her."

"It wasn't a lashing," he frowned irritably as he pulled himself further on to the bed and away from Snow. It was hard to wrap his head around the fact that this place existed again. It had been so long since he had truly thought about Storybrooke and his life here. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he even loved Snow as his wife.

"Well what was it then?" She insisted gently and he dazed off for a moment as he stared at her. The look in his eyes was odd. It was almost like he didn't recognize her. But she knew he did otherwise he wouldn't be talking so easily with her. The dreamshade must have put him in a strange headspace.

"I kissed her."

"You...what? Why?"

"Because I love her," he answered simply and Snow shook her head with a confused and uneasy laugh, "she ran off after I told her."

"I don't-...I don't understand."

"She left her coat here..."

"I am pretty sure her coat was the last thing on her mind!"

"How long was I asleep?"

"Two and a half weeks," Snow answered quickly with every intention to get back to the part where he had kissed Regina.

"Well...that certainly makes this difficult."


	14. Chapter 14

**I don't even have an excuse for you guys. Just a wicked case of writer's block lol but I'm here and I'm trying :) and here's a question for you guys; any of you going to the convention in Vancouver in March? I am and would love to meet some of you guys if you're going! Let me know, it'd be fun :) please leave a review! Reviews make the updating move faster lol!**

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Tink walked quietly in to the kitchen where she found Regina leaning back against her counter with her arms folded and her head turned so she could stare out the window above the sink. It looked like she had started to gather things to make dinner but found herself distracted by the very early beginnings of a sunset.

"Hey," she greeted gently with a smile as she settled herself against the island across from her and Regina looked her way curiously.

"What are you doing here?"

"Henry called me."

"Whatever for?"

"He said you've been acting off since he got home from school and that he thought you may need some grown up talk," she told her simply and kindly and Regina watched her as though she was waiting for her to say something else. She didn't.

"Did he tell you anything else?"

"No. Is there more?"

"...David's awake," Regina answered quietly and turned her head to look back out the window.

"Oh...well that's...how are you taking it? Have you seen him?"

"I was there when he woke up. I don't believe he was in his right mind."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because the first thing he did was kiss me," she answered and looked Tink in the eye. Surprised but sympathetic eyes. "And the second thing he did was tell me he loved me," she told her quietly and felt her throat tighten well before Tink's shoulders drooped in further sympathy with the beginnings of a frown. With her hand rubbing her upper arm, Regina glanced down at the floor and did her best to put her emotions back in check.

"He didn't mean it..."

"Are you sure?" Tink asked softly.

"He just woke up from a coma. He didn't know what he was doing..."

"Did you ask him?"

"No..."

"...You ran," Tink surmised softly and Regina's averted eyes and crossed jaw were enough of an answer.

"What was I supposed to do?"

"Did you kiss him back?" She asked and Regina gave a small and quiet scoff with a shake of her head.

"Of course I did."

"Does Henry know?"

"He knows that he's awake. And that he has to stay in the hospital a little while longer to make sure he is alright. He wanted to go see him but I told him we had to wait until Whale said it was alright. Other than that, no, he doesn't know."

"What are you going to do?" Tink asked softly and Regina simply shook her head, "what do you think he is going to do?"

"Are you just going to stand there and ask me questions I don't know the answers to all night," Regina snapped a little sharper than she had intended but Tink took no offence. She knew her too well to take offence.

"No. Just getting them all out of the way so I don't pester you with them later," she teased gently and Regina did lighten up a little bit before she turned her head to look back out the window. "But really," she insisted gently and Regina looked back at her with eyes that were more stressed than she had ever seen them before, "do you need me to do anything?"

"...Just...be around?...I'm not good at asking for help..."

"I can do that," Tink smiled with a small nod and Regina nodded in return and dropped her eyes to the floor before she looked back out the window, rubbing her hand over her upper arm once more.

The pair of them both turned at the knock on the front door but neither moved to answer it. It seemed Regina didn't want to and Tink simply had no authority to do so. So they stayed in the kitchen with their heads turned to the sound. It was Henry that opened the door and immediately their laid back and curious nature spun in to chaos at the sound of the boy excitedly greeting David. Tink's gaze quickly fixed back on Regina's and the anxiety in her expression made Tink's heart drop.

It was a mess of fear and anxiety that plagued her at the sound of David's voice but it only took a moment or two before she was hurrying out of the kitchen and toward the door. Not that she knew what she was going to do when she saw him. She didn't even know why she was going toward him in the first place. But she did and when she saw him, her rather hurried steps came to an abrupt halt in the large archway between the dining room and front foyer. The way he smiled at her made her heart throb and kept her fingertips on the archway to ensure her balance remained steady.

"Mom!" Henry exclaimed as he closed the door behind David, "look! They let him out! That means everything is okay, right?!"

"Must be," she answered with a practiced smile that Henry quickly saw through. She didn't give him a chance to make anything of it though before she spoke up again, "how about you go upstairs with Tinkerbell and I will talk with David."

He had forgotten in his moments of utter excitement that, perhaps, inviting David in to the house would cause his mother stress. He had forgotten that she loved him and didn't want to ruin things and now he had put David right in front of her. He must have been frowning over the thought for she gave him a kind and forgiving smile in return. The one only mothers can give.

"Go on," she encouraged gently as Tink stepped up beside her and opened an arm for Henry to follow. Regina watched them retreat upstairs and before they even disappeared from sight, Tink had Henry laughing and smiling once more. One of theses days she was going to have to remember to tell her how much she appreciated her.

Once a door was closed and silenced their voices, Regina lowered her attention back to David who had remained in the front entry with the door closed behind him and a pleasant and easy smile. "Hi..." She greeted and his smile instantly lifted and lit up his eyes, causing her stomach to flip and her heart to skip.

"Hi," he returned as he tentatively moved toward the stairs up to the foyer. She didn't argue, aloud or silent, so he continued up them and slowly made his way toward her.

"They let you out?"

"Well...they didn't chase me down when I grew tired of being poked and prodded. So I suppose, yes, they did let me leave," he smirked a little and stopped just barely a stride from her.

"David, you've been in a coma for over two weeks, you shouldn't have left without-"

"I am fine," he assured softly and her dark eyes flicked between his, "Whale said so himself on multiple occasions. He couldn't find anything wrong with me. The rest of the extra exams were demanded by Snow. I grew tired of them. So I told them just that and left."

"...And you came here?"

"You forgot your coat," he reasoned as he pushed his arm forward and Regina hesitated before she carefully reached forward and took it.

"Thank you," she replied quietly as she draped it over her forearm and hugged it close to her. She had seen it in his grasp but assumed it to be his own after failing to see it was much too small a garment for him. She was distracted by his expression and the softness it carried. But she didn't care for where the conversation was heading now. Even if she did want answers, she didn't know which answer she wanted more. So she'd rather steer clear of the topic.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine," she replied easily with a rather forced smile, "although it is I who should be asking you such things."

"I am perfectly alright," he smiled and she seemed to be itching to run away again. Or come closer. He couldn't tell and he doubted she knew which either. "I am sorry about earlier," he started and she looked him straight in the eye waiting to see what exactly it was he was apologizing for. "Kissing you was clearly a bit of a shock and I am afraid that telling you I loved you was a slip on my part," he told her and before he could finish, she was dropping her eyes and shaking her head and interrupting him. The hurt and dismay was so subtle on her guarded expression but he saw it all the same and watched her withdraw from him. It was a cruel reminder of how different things were here. But it also gave him hope. She was, after all, withdrawing from something that was already there.

"It's fine. No harm done," she excused even though it killed her, "you had just woken up, what you did in those first moments were...lacking cognitive thought. Acting on a whim as it were."

"Yes, perhaps," he agreed and she nodded, tight and small, "but," he started and she looked him in the eye, "not a lie. Not a mistake. Not a misunderstanding," he told her gently and she frowned as she put her walls up and leaned away from him ever so slightly when he stepped forward. "I meant what I said and I meant what I did. I am not apologizing for what I did, I am apologizing for catching you so off guard and unprepared. I am apologizing for making you feel vulnerable and confused. And I am apologizing now for pushing you even further in to such a state."

"I don't-..." She shook her head in confusion and hugged her arms and draped coat closer to her body. There was no rhythm to her heartbeat. It was sporadic and frantic and her throat was thick with anxiety. She hated it, "what are you saying?"

"I am saying that I love you, Regina. And I am going to convince you of such a thing, no matter how long it takes," he answered kindly and honestly and she stared at him for a moment before she started laughing. It was the sorrow and wholehearted disbelief in it that made his heart ache. He had a lot of work ahead of him.

"You don't love me, David," she denied and felt her jaw and throat tighten and ache in a way that made her wish she was lying with those words. But how could he love her? "You have been in a coma for the past two and a half weeks dreaming about god knows what, and you expect me to believe that you woke up just hopelessly in love with me after sleeping on our handful of encounters? You cannot be serious."

"I do not expect you to believe any of it, no. But I would love it if you would and I know you want to believe me," he told her softly and she scoffed another quiet laugh as she quickly withdrew her emotional self deeper and further from him. "You all have been saying it has only been a couple of weeks I have been away. It was so much longer for me. I had so much time to think about what I had in this life and what more I wanted from it. I kept falling back on you and that was infuriating but eventually I did give in. The fact that you were interfering didn't give me much of a choice in the matter anyway."

"I didn't interfere with you," she snapped sharply but quietly and he smiled and shook his head.

"That is not what I meant," he excused and then paused for a moment to find the best way to describe it. "I found out rather quickly that I was in a dream. I don't know how it was created and I do not believe you had intended for it to happen either when you sent your magic in to pull out the dreamshade. But it did happen. I do not know how magic works but somehow it lent me your mind and your memories and created a world for me to live in while I healed. I was incredibly bitter about it in the beginning but I did learn to accept the fact that I loved it and that I loved you. It got to the point where I started to wonder if Storybrooke ever existed at all. If you had ever existed. And then it became a foggy memory. Like something you had dreamed and couldn't remember when you woke. So when I woke up in a hospital bed and found you at my side, I was completely overwhelmed with relief that you were real.

I am here and I am okay and I want nothing more than to love the woman who has not left my heart since that lasagna dinner when everything was clear and simple. I just didn't know how to cope with it then. I didn't know how to accept it. But I do now. I want to be with you, I want to have you at my side, I want to know you. I want you to know me," he told her and she looked at him as though he had completely lost his mind. But she also wanted so desperately to believe he was telling the truth. He could see it in the set of her mouth and the softness of her eyes.

"I don't know what you are talking about, David," she argued as she tried to shake his words from her head. But they latched on too tight and wouldn't leave. He couldn't want all that, he just couldn't, nobody wanted that. Not with her.

She didn't realize she had closed her eyes until she had to open them to see what was touching her so gently. It was his hands on her arms as he looked down at her with such kindness and love that it broke her heart. Kicked it and stomped on it because she knew he would wake up tomorrow morning and come to his senses and that look would be gone.

"Stop playing with me," she pleaded on a soft and tired exhale as she looked back and forth between his blue eyes. She hated how much her plea sounded like begging. Begging him not to break her heart, begging him not to tear her apart, begging him not to put her through such misery. Again. She had had more than enough heartache for one lifetime. She didn't need more.

"I would never play with your heart, Regina," he promised softly and she stiffly shifted her weight as her brow furrowed in the desire to believe him but the inability to do just that, "I love you."

"No you don't," she breathed on a shaky breath and he rubbed a thumb over her cheek, preemptively wiping a tear she refused to let fall as he cradled her head.

"I do."

"No. You don't."

"You are in no position to tell me how I feel," he told her firmly but kept his voice as gentle as he could as he moved his fingers to tuck her hair behind her ear. She heard the edge to his voice though, she heard the frustration in it and he hoped she heard the pain in it too but he couldn't say for sure. He knew what he felt and he understood that she didn't believe him but it didn't make it any less hurtful when she told him he didn't love her. He did.

"I am in every position to infer what you are feeling," she snapped and her heart scolded her for such a bitter tone. It ached and he frowned as his hands fell from her face. It made her want to cry and she quickly bowed her head to her feet so she he wouldn't see her tears well up.

"Why? Because you were out here while I was stuck in my head? Because you buried your nose in your books while your magic ran amuck in my mind and my heart, showing me things, telling me things? Because you were sitting on the sidelines while I had to lose everything I thought I knew and loved? You are in every position to _infer_ what I am feeling because you watched me lay still in a hospital bed for two and a half weeks? Weeks to you that were years to me?" He pressed and his heart ached because he knew he was hurting her, he knew he was pushing her. He just wanted her to hear him, he wanted her to give just the smallest of offers to let him in. Even just agree to listen to him without shutting herself down and turning away from him.

When she looked up at him again he couldn't recall a time he saw her so small. Not even when he was affected by the dreamshade and trapped in his mind. Her arms hugged herself and her coat even tighter against her body so her shoulders curled forward and her eyes were glossed with tears. He wanted to comfort her, he wanted to love her. But she wouldn't let him.

"You cannot seriously expect me to believe a single declaration of love when two weeks ago you and I were at each other's throats in Neverland. It is unfair, David. I am not going to fall in to your arms just because you feed me words that could not possibly mean anything to me. We have had our moments of fondness and intimacy but they were mere moments in an infinite sea of bloodlust. To ignore all that and focus only on those moments would be impossible and foolish."

"I am not basing what I feel on those encounters, Regina, I-"

"Well then what the hell are you basing them on?!" She cried out and hated that her voice broke, "what could you have possibly stemmed this obscene conclusion from?!"

"It is not obscene to love you, Regina."

"I don't think there is a single person on earth would wouldn't agree that Prince Charming declaring his love to the Evil Queen is pretty god damn obscene!"

"That is not-"

"It's not what, David?! It's not ridiculous?! It's not repugnant?! It's not outrageous?! It's not vulgar?! It's not-?!"

"No it's not! It isn't any of that!"

"Well do you hear what you are saying?! That you are trying to leave your beloved wife for me?! _Me_?!"

"I am not _trying_ to do anything, Regina! I _am_ leaving Snow because it is not fair to her or anyone else involved if I stay with her while my heart resides in the hands of another!"

"And it lays with me?! What in the hell would possess a person to give their heart to me?! And you of all people?! You should know better!"

"I _do_ know better! It is why I am standing here in front of you right now! Just because you didn't pluck my heart out of my chest doesn't mean it isn't yours! Why shouldn't I love you?!"

"Because I am _me_!" She cried desperately and furiously as she took a partial step toward him and he clenched his jaw, "and you are you! We don't _fit_ , we don't _work_!"

"Why do you find it so impossible that someone can love you?!"

"Not _someone_! You! I find it impossible that _you_ could love me!" She shouted as her tears started to blur her vision and her throat ached with her heart.

"Why?!"

"Because you know who I am! You know what I have done, you know what I am capable of!"

"Knowing that only makes the person standing in front of me even more incredible!" He argued harshly and she scoffed a bitter laugh as she tried to keep her tears from falling, "after all of that hell, you are still standing in one piece with a level head! You are hurt and you are human and you are beautiful! Why are you fighting me so hard?!"

"Because I love you too much to let you follow through with such a ridiculous notion!" She cried out on a rushed breath and he fell silent as she suffocated and her words continued to spew while her tears started to fall, "I will not let you throw your life away to be with me! I am not good enough for you! I will not open my heart any more to you, I will not put myself through that pain again! This has to stop, David!"

Her words broke his heart. How could she think so poorly of herself? How could she believe so wholeheartedly that she wasn't good enough for him? Perhaps his judgement was lost after spending so much time in his dreamshade induced coma. Perhaps the woman he knew and loved was not in the one standing before him. He didn't believe that though. He couldn't let himself believe that there was no more to this woman than the sad and broken parts he already loved. There had to be more. There was more. He saw it when she was with Henry, he saw it when she had let him make her smile, he saw it when she and Snow talked instead of fought, he knew it was there and he wasn't going to let her think otherwise.

So he kissed her. He stepped in to her and pulled her head up to his with his hands on either side of her face and she sucked in a sharp gasp as his lips found hers. His whole body tingled at the contact and his brow furrowed as she softened her mouth beneath his and gave a small cry of surrender. He loved her with all of his heart, there was no mistake.

She didn't even try to resist him. It was futile despite her words otherwise. She gave in as soon as his body was pressed to hers and his hot breath huffed against her lips. She was hopeless against him and let her coat fall to the floor as she swivelled her head and took a firm hold on his shirt with both hands over his chest.

She was shaking and she hated it. His hands were meant to soothe her, she knew, but they only further fractured her delicate walls and had her crying against his lips as she pulled him in for more. He always pushed her. But he always caught her too. He caught her before she said things she couldn't take back and he caught her before she did things she couldn't undo. Tonight was just another instance to add to the list.

"I've missed you," she breathed against his lips and he tipped his forehead to rest against hers. She had a gentle hand around his throat and the other on his chest and she could feel him relax with his long exhale and could feel his brow furrow against hers. It had her swallowing and her hands shaking even more. She felt so lost.

"I love you," he told her once more and the shakiest of choked sobs caught in her throat as she pushed her forehead in to his. She had never quite been so small in his arms.

"I want to believe you," she whispered almost too quiet to hear.

"Do you trust me?"

"Not with this."

"But you love me," he stated even softer and felt her slump against him as her voice caught in her open mouth. She couldn't answer him and he didn't really expect her. Even though he wanted to hear it leave her lips, the silence from her was enough of an answer. He knew it would have been easy to tell him she didn't. But instead she found herself incapable of admitting to him that she did. Even if she had accidentally let it slip just moments before.

So he dipped his head down and buried his face in to her neck as his arms held her tight. She was quick to do the same and as her arms clamped around him he truly realized how much he missed his broken little mayor and how much he loved her. So he held her tighter and kissed her neck before he buried his nose in her hair and took a deep breath, his throat tightening even more with the desire to cry as her scent filled his nose.

"I love you," he breathed out once more and hugged her tighter in an attempt to make her believe him. He knew she wouldn't though. Not yet.


	15. Chapter 15

**I am soooo sorry you guys, I promise I have been trying to get this written but thing have just not been working out. But I sat myself in Starbucks with my iPad for a few hours and got a bunch written and everything else in my life is smoothing out lol so hopefully the updates will come more frequently again! I am so sorry for making you guys wait!**

 **I hope you enjoy the update!**

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She was distracting herself with phone calls and paperwork when her attention was snagged by the very thing she was distracting herself from. David. Walking in to her office. Her heart leapt in to her throat when her chest tightened and he greeted her with a friendly smile as he continued on his path to her. A paper bag from Granny's in one hand and a cardboard tray with two closed cups resting in his other.

She had not expected he would come down to her office. She was surprised, frazzled, irritated, wary, but...there were small parts of her that were excited to see him. Excited that he had taken the time to come and see her. Even though she didn't want him there.

He was quiet and polite for her phone was against her ear but she couldn't repeat a word of what the recently released mirror man was saying to her. Not while her eyes followed David's every movement as he came around her desk and settled with his perfectly nail-dig-in-able ass upon its glass surface. He continued on as though it was completely ordinary for him to be where he was and while her mirror continued to ramble in her ear, David set the coffees down on her desk beside him and opened the paper bag to retrieve what was inside. All the while making as little noise as possible so as not to disturb her work.

Every movement was smooth and natural as though he had practiced it countless times. It was incredible and baffling and she didn't know how to react. What she did know was that the jabber in her ear was not helping her think straight. "Sydney, something has just come up that I need to attend to," she interrupted, although she hadn't a clue what it was exactly that she had interrupted. He didn't seem bothered by it though. Always understanding, always pining. She hung up before he finished his sentence and was launched even further in to uncharted territory when David gave a humoured breath of laughter to himself at the gesture.

"Something funny?"

"Do you think the poor man will ever grasp the concept of you never falling head over heels in love with him?"

"I do not."

"Wherever did he get the idea that you would?"

"He had spent too long in a lamp. I played him like a fiddle."

"You play the fiddle?" He smirked in good humour with his eyebrows raised. She merely rolled her eyes in response and reached to put her phone back on its base.

"What are you doing here, Charming?"

He could hear the stress in her voice. The apathy she tried to pull together to use as a mask, and the distress it failed to cover. He didn't call her out on it though and simply answered her question as he dug in the paper bag, "I thought I'd bring you lunch."

"Why?"

"In case you were hungry," he reasoned and she huffed but it only made him smile more as he pulled out the wrap he brought for her. She looked at it with more interest than he had thought she would but her face was still pulled in to a displeased frown. He believed it to be directed mostly by his presence rather than the food. She was on edge and he didn't blame her. He simply smiled as he stood up tall once more only to bend down to her, "you need to eat you know," he teased and her dark eyes darted back and forth between his.

Then he pressed a kiss to her cheek and as he withdrew, he obliged her silent contemplation and paused when her nose softly nudged in to his cheek with the slightest turn of her head. She didn't do anything more and his lips lifted in to a soft smile as her mind worked too hard debating a kiss and his nose bumped gently in to the side of hers. It was affectionate and tender and he tried his very best to make it easy for her as she fought within herself. It was so hard to be patient when he had spent so long just being with her.

He didn't kiss her though. He waited a few seconds longer to see if she would follow through with her initial thought to do so but when she didn't move he simply tipped his forehead against hers with a quiet and loving hum. He even waited a little longer when a shaky exhale left her lungs but she did nothing more than return the affectionate pressure of her forehead leaning in to his. So he carefully pulled away and slowly stood tall once more, "so...Sydney hey?" He questioned curiously as he walked back around her desk so he could take a chair from the large table and put it on the other side of her desk.

Regaining her composure, Regina cleared her throat and licked her lips, "yes," she so desperately wanted him back there. She wanted to change her answer. She wanted to kiss him.

"Trying to hunt down more blackmail on your citizens?" He teased as he tidily folded the empty paper bag before opening his lunch and passing along the coffee.

"No...he is useful in that regard, I will admit," she amended and was pulled even further out of her comfort zone when he laughed softly, "but honestly I had just forgotten I had had him locked away down there."

David simply nodded and laughed. It was something she would do. Forget about something until she needed it, "what reminded you?"

"Why are you here, David?" She asked again and he shrugged a shoulder.

"To bring you lunch," he repeated and she looked down at the food he had put in front of her, "would you prefer my burger? We can swap if you like."

"No...no, just..."

"If you are waiting for me to tell you that after sleeping on it I have changed my mind and have come out of this supposed fog you all believe I am in, you are going to be waiting a very long while," he told her gently and she watched him with so many emotions in her expression that he honestly couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"You seem very convinced."

"I know what I feel, Regina. And I know that you are restraining yourself."

"Can you blame me?" She asked softly and he smiled tenderly and shook his head.

"Of course not."

She could feel her insides rattling about within her because he was so calm and put together. She felt like she was the one who had gone crazy. That she had some form of memory loss and she had forgotten that she was in a relationship with this man who treated her as though he knew everything about her. She didn't even know what to do with herself. She wanted to throw herself in to him and never let go but she was terrified of the pain that may follow. She also knew it was wrong. So _wrong_. He was married, he loved his wife, he had just come out of a coma, he was confused. The reasons to turn him away were endless.

But he was looking at her as though he had grown old with her and it was killing her not to go over there and step in to his arms.

"So what do you do in here all day anyway?" He asked to try and lighten up the conversation before he took a bite of his burger. His tormented mayor simply watched him with big brown eyes and a soft frown that showed just how conflicted she really was.

...

It had started as the thoughtless soft touch of his hand across her lower back as he came around her to pour their drinks for them. Just to relieve the duty from her. She didn't protest but he had quickly realized it was for entirely different reasons than simply accepting his gentlemanly gesture. He had gotten the drinks poured but when he offered her her glass she simply stared back at him with a curious look in her eye. Like there were so many things racing through her mind that even she couldn't make sense of it all.

It had started there.

Without a single drop of alcohol on her tongue to blame, she had ended up on her desk with her legs wrapped around his hips and his mouth on hers. She had started it but perhaps a case could be made for the innocent touch of his fingers as he passed her. He was by no means complaining though as her hands threaded deeper in to his hair and her open mouth panted against his. Something in her had snapped and while he knew better than to move so quickly, he couldn't stop himself from taking as much as his dear queen would give.

He missed her and he loved her and his heart was racing as she took him on her own accord. He truly had not gone in to her office with any thoughts that the encounter would result in such a heated circumstance. But he kissed her because she let him and he pulled at her because she wanted to be closer and he didn't give her the chance to clear her mind. It felt so good to have her working with him instead of against him. It felt like his whole world was falling in to place.

The spread hand that he slid up her back had her skin crawling with the best shivers and she clamped her legs even tighter around him with a shaky moan. He was warm and he was strong and she felt like she was buzzing. Her mind was foggy and her heart had never felt so alive as one leg climbed higher up his hip. She wanted him, she needed him, her voice was low and husky, and her fingers wanted more to grab while her teeth wanted more than his lips to sink in to.

She was hot and she was wet and the vocal that left with her gasp when his teeth found her neck was far higher pitched than she would ever care to admit. It was followed with a pleased groan as her skin shivered and her nails scraped against his scalp. Despite the fact that her mouth was free to breathe, he had her even more breathless than before as his mouth feasted on her neck and his hands heavily wandered her figure. One over her back and the other in the bend of her raised knee.

He knew just where to kiss, just where to bite, and just where to dig his nails in. She had completely lost control of her body and she loved it so much more than she thought she ever would. She was urging him closer, her thighs nearly aching with the strength she was using while her hands pulled at his hair and at his shirt over his heart. She couldn't recall anyone having ever put her in such a state before.

"Stop," she huffed and immediately he stopped dead in his tracks. He obeyed but she couldn't quite get herself to do the same. His mouth stayed hovering over her neck so every one of his breaths brought a chill to her damp skin while her head turned so her parted lips could pant against his ear. His hands had stilled with one around her ribcage beneath her breast and the other digging in to her thigh over her trousers but hers were far from still as they combed through his hair and slid up his chest to his throat. Her body craved more, her heart yearned for it, and she had almost forgotten why she had told him to stop. But she was reminded when he placed a tentative kiss to the side of her neck and slid his thumb over her ribs. It had her humming as her fingers dug in to his scalp and his throat and she loved how he let her because surely her newly manicured nails were far less than comfortable against his skin.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly against her neck as he moved both of his hands to settle low on her hips. He was answered with a moan and her stiletto digging deeper in to the back of his calf as he dragged his lips up the side of her neck and she lolled her head away from him to allow him more skin to cover.

"You are going to make me come without getting my clothes off," she told him and didn't even care that he was grinning against her neck. She was far too distracted by the sensations jolting her body back to life.

He was happily taking as much as he was given and that statement only pleased him. "That's not a bad thing," he breathed smugly and when his teeth delivered a soft bite to her jaw, she lifted her head back up and they were left face to face with their noses on one another's cheek.

"We can't do this, David," she breathed out and was kissed a moment later. She kissed him back without argument though. She couldn't help it. It was soft and just barely chaste and made her wonder once more why she was resisting him.

"We can though," he promised and kissed her again with the same softness.

"David..." She protested on an exhale and he bumped his nose against the side of hers as he tipped his forehead to hers.

"I had forgotten how beautiful you are," he breathed aloud the thought and she fell silent. He kissed her again to try and ease the tension away. It was a soft and slow kiss, tender and loving as he tried to get her to relax. But her jaw remained tight in return despite his best efforts and he was quickly noting how much easier it was for his queen to cope with lust and heat and sex than it was with tenderness and affection and love.

He could have gotten that heat back with a few cleverly placed nips and specific placements of his hands but while it may quicken her heart and make her lose her breath, it could also give her the wrong impression of what he wanted. He didn't want to have sex with her just for the sake of it. He wanted to be in her company, he wanted her to let him love her like she so clearly wished. So he parted from the kiss and frowned when but a moment later, she dipped her chin and pressed her forehead to his.

With the most gentle of gestures, David lifted his hand and touched her face. His fingertips trailed over her cheekbone and then tucked her hair behind her ear before they followed the line of her jaw while his thumb softly rubbed her bottom lip. He was hurt more than he knew he should be by the words that left her lips next.

"Please go," she whispered with her hand still around his neck and the other softly playing with his hair. She could feel his disappointment hit her like a freight train. It made her want to cry but instead she only dipped her head further in to his and furrowed her brow.

Her thumb moving over his jaw was comforting to him but it wasn't nearly enough to soothe the sharp dig to his heart. "I don't want to," he replied softly as his fingers fell from her face and started adjusting and playing with the collar of her shirt. At his words he felt her emotional tension build while her body reacted by melting in to him in the most heartbreaking way. She was going to start crying.

"David, I-"

"I didn't say I wasn't going to. I simply said I don't want to," he reassured softly but couldn't hide the hurt lingering in his voice. They stayed there for a few moments. Silent and together. Her legs had long since relaxed but were still gently hugged around his thighs while her fingers played slowly and softly in his short hair and the other still settled so gently around his throat. He enjoyed it for as long as he could before he pressed one final kiss to her smudged red lips and carefully withdrew from her.

Regina couldn't watch him leave. She kept her eyes closed and her head bowed and let her legs slide closed when he was no longer between them. She could hear his steps retreat toward the door and every one of them felt like a stab to her heart and her fingers gripped the edge of her desk tighter with each. She tried so hard not to but she did look up at the pause in his steps when he opened the door. She nearly gave in to her heart's distraught wailing when he gave her such a tender and understanding smile over his shoulder. He was still hurt and he didn't want to leave but he was leaving and he was trying to understand.

The very moment the door clicked shut behind him, she was pushing herself from her desk and hurrying to the door. But she stopped when her hand wrapped around the handle. She stopped and closed her eyes as she rested her forehead against it. And then she breathed out a tired cry and slowly let herself sink to the floor with her back against her door.

...

She had not let herself cry for very long in her office but she couldn't find it in her to refocus and get back to work. Not while she was suddenly so alone and her heart felt so bruised and torn. She had gone home early and she had found herself hoping Tinkerbell would be waiting for her inside. But the fairy was nowhere to be found and Regina wasn't surprised. She had told her she was going to work to distract herself which meant Tink wouldn't invite herself in until she believed her to be home from work. Which should have been in at least two more hours.

Regina had half a mind to call her fairy friend. But she didn't know what to say to her. She was not good at asking for help and she didn't even know what she needed. Perhaps Tink would though. But first she wanted to be alone in the comfort of her own home for awhile. So she tossed her keys in their dish, hung her coat in its place, and ran a hand through her hair as she walked only as far as the dining room before she stopped and let her arms fall to brace her weight upon the table. She let her head hang as she tried to breathe but in the security and privacy of her home, the tears came too strong for her to fight.

They fell and she softly swayed forward and backward as she tried to calm herself down. She wanted to go to him, she wanted to let him hold her, she wanted to stop fighting him. She couldn't even say why she was fighting him in the first place. She knew it was wrong and she was trying to be good but that wasn't where her reluctance stemmed from. It was a mere branch. She didn't believe it was solely that she was scared of her heart being broken either though. It stemmed from somewhere far deeper.

She didn't get the chance to ponder much further on it though for as she made herself stand up straight and take a deep breath, someone knocked on her front door. She didn't know who it would be. Tink never knocked and she didn't imagine David would be coming to her again so soon. And Henry was in school. But regardless of who it may be, she was grateful for the distraction and pushed a hand through her hair as she cleared her throat and wiped away her tears before walking back to the door with a deep breath.

A distraction was not what she found on the other side of her door. It was the exact opposite in fact. It was a distressed Snow White who looked to be incredibly relieved that she was home. "Snow..." Regina started quietly and shook her head slowly as her eyes fell, "this is not a good time."

"Regina, I need your help," she pleaded in a tight voice and Regina remained quiet and would barely look her in the eye, "I don't know what to do, I-" she shook her head as her tears pooled in her eyes and Regina shifted her weight, "please don't make me have this conversation on your front porch," she breathed on a tired exhale and Regina hesitated for a significant amount of time before she gave in and started stepping aside and opening the door wider. She still wouldn't look her in the eye but Snow was far too distressed to wonder why her stepmother was acting so strange.

With a long exhale, Regina closed the door behind Snow and lingered there for a moment to try and compose herself before she turned and followed Snow up in to the foyer. She didn't believe she had the energy to get in to a conversation such as this one without pulling the rug out from beneath Snow's feet.

"I don't get it, Regina, I don't understand what is happening to him."

"I don't know either."

"Is there anything you can _do_?" She pleaded desperately and Regina hugged her arms around her middle with a shrug and a shake of her head.

"Nothing that I have found."

"Have you looked?"

"Of course I have."

"Do you think it is permanent?"

"I don't know."

"I can't do this, Regina!" Snow cried and lifted the back of her hand to her mouth to gather her bearings as her tears started to fall, "he looks at me like he has never loved me! He's living at Granny's, he is _adamant_ on a divorce! But he remembers everything! He remembers Emma, he remembers Henry, he remembers me, but he is convinced that he is in love with _you_! That he's lived an entire life with _you_!"

"I know..."

"Have you _talked_ to him!?"

"Mmm."

"What did he say!? What did _you_ say!?"

"He told me that he loved me. And I told him he was being ridiculous," she replied plainly while her heart ached and her brow furrowed with the pain that threatened to break her. Snow didn't seem to notice and Regina couldn't say she blamed her for it. She actually preferred that she hadn't noticed her emotionally instability. She didn't have an excuse to tell her if she asked what was wrong.

"He doesn't even _know_ you!" Snow started ranting frantically again as her tears pooled higher in her eyes and she paced Regina's foyer and flung her arms around. "You two could barely stand in the same _room_ together without making some remark or dirty look toward one another! How is it that he can wake up one day and believe he is completely in love with you?! It doesn't even make sense! He is filing for divorce and he has barely been awake for forty eight hours! He refuses to come home, he won't touch me, when he looks at me it's like I am nothing more than a close friend, Red and Granny assure me he treats them no different than he always has! He is acting one hundred percent normal around everyone but me!

Even when he first woke up all he cared about was you! He just kept asking over and over again how long things were going to take because he needed to come here and talk to you! He is obsessed with you! You said he was dreaming! I have had some vivid dreams in my life and most have them have included you but not once have I woken up and decided to put my whole body and soul in to making them a reality! Hell I don't even remember them for longer than an hour ninety percent of the time! Did you do something to him?!"

"No of course not. Whatever magic I used on him while he was asleep was strictly healing or exploratory," Regina answered quietly and felt herself crumbling away. She was too tired and unstable for such a conversation.

"Well what the hell else could explain it?! And why aren't you trying to fix him?! When he was in the coma you would stay up all _night_ searching through your books!" She cried out and Regina started to shrink as she pushed her eyes further to the floor, "I don't see a single _page_ in this place now! Why aren't you looking?! Why aren't you trying to _fix_ him?!"

"Snow, this isn't the right time to-"

"Do you not want him fixed?!"

"It's not-...I just..." She shook her head and her tears pricked her eyes as she rubbed her hands over her arms. She knew she shouldn't say such words in front of Snow but it was a question that had been burning on her tongue and in her heart all night and all day and with her emotions so strung out and her will to resist him practically dissolved, the words left her mouth despite her better judgement, "what if...what if he is telling the truth?"

Snow didn't believe she heard her right. She started shaking her head with a confused frown and the silence filled the home as the tension in the air between them grew taut. It was so quiet. Snow didn't know what to say to that, she didn't know how to interpret it and she didn't know what Regina meant by it. Not until the woman found the strength to look her in the eye and Snow finally realized how small she had made herself. How insecure and vulnerable she was letting her see her as. It had her head shaking slower but in longer movements and Regina's brow furrowed once more as she bowed her head to hide her tears.

"Regina..." Snow started in a tone that even she couldn't quite understand. It was low and quiet and expressed her displeasure and anger over the sudden possibility of an affair between Regina and David and yet it was also tender. It was kind. It was broken. It was tortured for Regina's voice was so small and Snow had always so desperately wanted Regina to find love again. To hear in the woman's small voice that she was even considering the possibility of love was amazing and beautiful and thrilling.

But not with David.

"No," Snow cried softly as she shook her head, her voice breaking and growing even more unsteady when Regina lifted a hand to her mouth and kept her head bowed for she seemed incapable of looking her in the eye, "Regina, no," she whimpered and Regina let out a small breathy cry. "Please, Regina, don't," she cried and Regina shook her head miserably, "he is not yours to take," she pleaded and felt the fear of losing David settle deep in her chest. She couldn't even find it in her to be angry. Not yet, not while her fear plagued her so thoroughly.

"I didn't mean to," Regina cried as she lifted her head and made herself look at Snow, "I didn't want to," she promised and felt her tears fall as Snow shook her head and pushed her fingers through her hair.

"When, Regina? How long?"

"I don't have a good answer to that," she breathed out miserably and Snow started pacing again, "it has never been a constant occurrence...just...moments thrown in here and there."

"Have you slept with him?" Snow demanded but her voice cracked and more of Regina's tears fell as she dropped her eyes and nodded. It was a mixture of a scoff and a sob that rushed out of Snow's lungs as she paced and hugged her arms around her stomach while Regina cried and pushed her hand through her hair.

"Once. Near the end of the curse. I haven't let him touch me like that since."

"Didn't turn out how you planned it then?" Snow snapped bitterly in her misery through her tears, her tone heavily implying that Regina had intended to hurt her by sleeping with David as many times as she could before the curse broke. But stopped at just once because she had felt more with him than she had bargained for. She would have preferred the pain of a meaningless fling than that of this emotion driven affair.

"No not quite," Regina admitted softly.

"What else?"

"Snow, I don't-"

"What else, Regina?! Now that we are _clearing the air_! Now that we are being _so_ _honest_! What _else_ have the pair of you been doing behind my back?!"

"Never behind your back," Regina defended and Snow gave a miserable laugh in response, "you missed so much while you were in the Enchanted Forest. We grew close, we found comfort in one another. We were lonely. I didn't realize how attached I was until he found himself collapsing in Neverland," she shook her head and sniffed softly, "I didn't even know what I was feeling until Henry told me," she added and her voice quieted to a near whisper as she realized what she had just said aloud. Snow just kept pacing and kept crying. It felt so freeing though to say it out loud. To have the words leave her own head. Even though it was killing her then, she knew it would feel better soon.

"Henry knows?"

"I-...he-...he's a very clever and intuitive boy. He understands people, I don't know how he found out, he was never around when David and I-..." She faded out quietly and Snow lost her restraint. Or found her voice. Regina couldn't be sure.

"He is my _husband_ , Regina!" Snow cried out in her heartbreak and her fear was still overwhelming. Regina bowed her head once more to hide her face when it creased with shame and apology and her own sort of heartbreak, "he is mine! You have taken _everything_ from me! You took my _life_! You took my _safety_! You took my _father_! You took my _home_! You took my _daughter_! You took my _family_! And you _dare_ take my husband from me now?!" She shouted and cried and Regina shook her head as her tears streamed down her beautiful face.

"I don't want-"

"Then walk away!"

"I can't!" Regina screamed sharply and at the top of her lungs, her emotions finally getting the best of her.

"Why not?!"

"Because I cannot ignore the way he makes me feel! I cannot _pretend_ I don't yearn for his touch! I cannot fool myself in to believing that our previous encounters meant nothing when he was the person who kept me on my feet! I cannot tell myself that I can live without him when he is the only person who has seen me at my weakest and put my back together instead of gleefully kicking the pieces in every direction! I want him! But I don't want to hurt you!" She cried and Snow stepped forward and swung her arms up and out.

"You _are_ hurting me!" She screamed and Regina gave a small sharp cry and yelled right back.

"I _know_ I am!" She shouted and then let out another cry and quieted her voice, "I know I am. I wish I could stop. But I...I am losing resolve, Snow, I cannot turn him away again, I am not strong enough to resist him anymore, I have been trying but I just," she shook her head as her tears fell and Snow cried in front of her. Simply fell to pieces in front of her. "I _can't_ ," Regina whispered on a broken exhale as her arms wound around her middle and Snow covered her mouth and turned to start pacing once more while her tears stained her fair skin.


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry you guys, I felt like I was beating my head against a wall trying to figure this chapter out lol! And on top of that, my horse broke a bone in her leg and had to be taken in for surgery. So my mind has been elsewhere. But the leg is healing, my mind is once again at ease, and I am writing again! Enjoy! I hope to have the next one up for the weekend!**

 **Please leave a review! They mean the world to us writers!**

* * *

 _He wanted to badly to step in front of Cora with every stride she took toward the base of those stairs to his loft. But he knew if he did it would guarantee her walking up those stairs. His mind raced for an excuse to get her to stop but could think of nothing that wouldn't sound like he was trying to keep her from going upstairs. When she paused at the bottom and looked up as far as she could, all he could come up with was a bored, "must be the cat."_

 _Cora didn't bite though and as she craned her neck to try and look around the corner of the stairs he felt a new wave of panic wash over him. So he took a couple steps closer so he could stand behind her shoulder and stretch his head in an attempt to look around the corner too. "See anything?" He asked and stayed completely relaxed and nonchalant when she twisted to look at him over her shoulder. The scowl on her mouth and the knit of her eyebrows was irritated and baffled by how he thought it acceptable to be so close to her. But he simply swivelled his head to look her in the eye and stayed close so her focus was not on what was upstairs._

 _"What are you doing?"_

 _"Looking up the stairs, same as you," he answered simply and her expression grew all the more incredulous but she wouldn't dare be the one to move away from him._

 _"The fact that you have yet to walk up there to see what is in that loft leaves me with two conclusions."_

 _"Oh?"_

 _"You either have no concern for the security of this property and the safety of those residing in it or," her voice dipped and he listened undeterred, "you are hiding something."_

 _"I believe you know how much I value the safety and well being of these horses," he argued and she twitched an eyebrow in bored agreement, "as for the latter, what on earth would I be hiding?"_

 _"I would be equal parts surprised and unsurprised to find a whore in your bed," she drawled out and the stableboy laughed quietly._

 _"I can assure you there is no such thing in my bed. My taste is far more refined. As is my standard for personal hygiene," he noted and he'd be damned if he didn't see a smirk pull at the cold woman's mouth. Their focus was pulled back to the stairs by a sequence of thuds and a moment later, the fat brown tabby was seen making his way around the corner and down the stairs. Nothing but relief washed over David and he smiled and shrugged, "just the cat," he confirmed and Cora swivelled her head to look at him again with a rather curious expression that he didn't recognize but knew he wanted nothing to do with._

 _The voice he heard next was one he was truly surprised to hear and he hoped Cora didn't see the look of utter shock and confusion on his face before they both looked toward the woman in the door way to their left._

 _"Mother! You're home early," Regina noted in surprise as she stepped in to the stables and wished David would wipe that dumbstruck look off his face before he ruined everything, "we weren't expecting you for another three days."_

 _"Yes, well, the queen died and that was not a reason to celebrate," Cora drawled and Regina's lips parted softly in shock as her eyes grew wide, "what are you doing down here?"_

 _"I-I was going to ride...Queen Eva is dead? What happened?"_

 _"Her health took a final turn for the worse," she answered plainly and Regina tried to find her voice, "is this ride truly necessary? We must get you ready for tonight. You will be joining me at this event."_

 _"I...may I have an hour?"_

 _With a heavy sigh, Cora stepped away from the stableboy and walked up to her daughter with a scrutinizing look. And then she relented with a compromise, "you may have half of an hour."_

 _"Thank you," Regina nodded and stayed silent as her mother looked her over once more. She was starting to wonder if she had something out of place. She had gotten dressed in a hurry after all. But if Cora saw anything she didn't mention it and walked past her._

 _"I trust the mares will be dealt with and you will be presentable for tonight, stableboy."_

 _"Of course," he nodded and both he and Regina watched her walk back out in to the snow, sticking to the worn in path of Regina's many trips from the house to the stable and back again. Only when her footsteps faded in to silence did either of them dare speak._

 _"How the hell did you get down here?" He exclaimed but still kept his voice quiet and wary just in case._

 _"There is a loose section in the corner of the ceiling. You should probably fix it," she told him and he scoffed a laugh in disbelief._

 _"And you just jumped off the roof?"_

 _"No I scaled the lattice on the west side," she shrugged and he shook his head with another laugh before he stepped up to her and pulled her in to a hug. A hug she eagerly returned as she buried her nose in to his neck and took a deep breath._

 _"That scared the hell out of me," he breathed and hugged her tighter._

 _"I was sure she was going to figure it out," Regina agreed and realized how insignificant their argument had been. Now that she had gotten so close to losing him to her mother's hand. It didn't make it go away but it certainly gave her perspective and as he lifted his head, she did the same so that she was looking him in the eye._

 _"I am sorry I didn't tell you about who I knew you to be," he apologized softly as he tucked her hair behind her ear, "and I am sorry I cannot find it in me to be completely present with you. I am sorry that my mind wanders to those I have lost. I cannot help it most times. But you deserve better, you deserve my full attention and-" he was silenced with a kiss when she rose on to her toes and cradled his jaw in her hands. He was so quick to give in to her and revel in the way his chest warmed and fluttered at the way her love flowed so freely. It was so different from the woman he had known her to be._

 _"I don't want you to stop your mind from wandering to them," she breathed against his lips and he pressed his forehead to hers as his hands settled low on her hips. "They are a part of you. I would not ask you to forget them. I simply ask you live in the present with me and stop waiting for something that may never occur. Take the most out of what you have been given, do not let it go to waste," she told him softly and he nuzzled his nose in to her cheek with a long exhale as his arms started to wrap around her. "Fuck me as often as you can," she whispered with a grin when she felt him do the same, she laughed softly and then sobered her tone and whispered, "and tell me you love me."_

 _"I do love you," he breathed and she laughed a quiet and happy laugh, "very much," he assured and then he started walking her backward and she quietly started laughing again, "and if I recall correctly, you have an entire thirty minutes before you're presence is required. I am sure we can find the time to have you cautiously but properly fucked before I send you on your way," he smirked and she laughed through her grinning teeth as she let herself be pinned to the wall beside the large door so that they were out of sight from prying eyes, "you must be quiet though."_

 _"One of your rules states I must never be quiet," she commented with a smirk and felt a thrilling rush of danger as his hands pulled her hips closer to his while her mother could come back in to the stables at any moment. It wasn't likely for Cora never forgot anything. Be it an item or a selection of words, she had never once needed to return to tend to unfinished business. Regina wasn't too worried but the danger did not go unnoticed._

 _"Well I think you would agree that this is an acceptable exception," he teased and she moaned softly as he pressed himself heavier in to her and let his hands wander her figure, "unless you are not quite ready for such a daring stunt. If that is the case, I will happily and thoroughly kiss that perfect mouth of yours for the next half hour. Either option is perfectly acceptable," he grinned and then kissed her, not caring that it was mostly teeth as she laughed against his mouth._

David sighed at the ceiling as he laid on his back on his bed at Granny's. He missed being with Regina. He missed it more than he thought possible and he was going crazy in this small room thinking of ways to win her over. He should get out but he hated the way people looked at him as though he was on the brink of a mental breakdown. Like he was fragile. Like he was broken. He wasn't.

He knew what he wanted, he knew what he needed, but she rejected him every time he tried to show her. She avoided him when she could and when she couldn't she was quick to cave and fall in to him. It was a harsh and torturous back and forth that had been going on for what felt like forever.

There had been several instances where their paths had crossed since the heated incident in her office and while none of them escalated quite so far, they were notable nonetheless. Like when he had passed behind her in the diner yesterday morning as they both waited for their coffee and she allowed his fingertips to skim over her lower back only to then reach for his hand with her own. The contact was soft and light as a feather but it had happened. He could still feel the burn of her fingertips over his.

Or when he had stumbled upon Henry walking home from school that same afternoon and kept him company up to the manor's front door only to be rewarded for his kindness with a kiss on the porch from the feisty mayor once Henry was inside. She had tugged him in by his leather jacket and kissed him with a passion that ran far deeper than simple gratitude for assuring her son's safety and he was hopeless against her. His hands and arms were around her in moments but she still managed to slip away and close herself in her house without a word.

There were so many similar encounters and they broke his heart. Things had been so easy with the woman in his head. He even found himself wishing from time to time that he hadn't woken up. That he was still with her. But those thoughts were killed the moment he thought about the broken woman he was trying to win over.

He just didn't understand why she was being so hesitant when clearly she wanted what he was offering her. He didn't get it. With a long sigh he rolled over on his side to stare at the clock. It was time to get his day started.

...

It was oddly quiet in the sheriff's station when he walked inside. Emma must have been out attending to something. Or she was avoiding him. Either option was entirely plausible. It was his first day back after all. What he wasn't expecting to see when he rounded the corner was Storybrooke's mayor perched on his desk in a black pencil skirt with one smooth and slender leg crossed over the other and her dark eyes piercing in to his.

She didn't say a word and neither did he. She simply watched him as he made his way to her and dropped his keys on his desk. His eyes never left hers until he braced his weight on his hands on his desk on either side of her hips and then they simply fell to her lips. Her exhale was slow and shaky against his jaw as she once again found herself stuck between her views of right and wrong. She was breaking his heart and he was growing tired of it. Physically and mentally tired. He just wanted her to accept his efforts and his words. He just wanted her to let him hold her and let him love her without her running away again.

He didn't know why she was there, he didn't know how she knew he was going to be there in the first place, but she was there and she was beautiful and sexy and he wanted to dip his head the last couple inches and kiss her senseless. But he didn't. He stayed quiet and still and when her fingers found his chest, he asked her softly, "how many more times are you going to hurt me before you decide on what you want?"

She was thrown by his question and her reflex was to deny she had ever hurt him. But his tone gave her pause and it was just long enough to make her think and in doing so she realized he was right. She had been hurting him in the worst way and guilt quickly twisted her stomach as she closed her eyes and tipped her forehead against his. "I know what I want," she whispered against his lips with a pained furrow of her brow as her hands took fistfuls of his shirt.

"Then _tell_ me so that I may fulfill it," he pleaded softly as his sore heart ached even deeper.

"I want you to love me," she whispered timidly and swallowed as he let out a long slow breath.

"I do, Regina."

"You don't even know me, David," she argued and she knew he was frowning.

"Regina-"

"You insist that you do but how could you? _I_ don't even know me," she shook her head softly against his and felt her heart throb when his hands cradled her head. Giving in to his persistence, she lifted her head and pulled it back only far enough to focus on his bright blue eyes and quickly crumbled beneath his gaze.

"I know enough. And I want to know more. But you won't let me," he told her gently and she gave a sad little smile that broke his heart.

"Why should I?"

"Because you want to."

"I want to do a lot of things, David. Doesn't mean I can or should," she argued and then slid off his desk and started walking away from him.

"Regina," he called tiredly and quietly but she kept stepping away. Granted her steps were slower but they were still away from him, "Regina, stop running away from me!" He bellowed and she was quick to spin around and scream back at him.

"I am not going anywhere! I just can't think about anything but fucking you when your hands are anywhere near me!" She roared and he quieted. Then her hands were in her hair and she was turning her back to him once more to calm herself down.

"I'm sorry," he apologized softly and she took a deep but quiet breath that pulled at her shoulders, "getting used to this life again has been...difficult."

"Why?"

"Because I was so happy when I was there. I had everything I could ever want and I had it with you," he answered and she carefully turned back around so she was facing him with her arms hugging her stomach, "and now I am here and you look at me as though I am something you cannot have despite me doing everything but scream from the rooftops of this godforsaken town that you _can_ have me. I am miserable without you. I am lonely without you. And for the life of me I cannot figure out what barrier you have put up between us."

"You have a _family_ here, David. You have a _wife_ and a _daughter_ ," she shook her head in desperation and he looked off to the side with an irritable quirk of his head because she wasn't able to understand. "We spent so many years trying to tear one another apart. Our whole lives revolved around that matter for so long, I just cannot make sense of how you are suddenly so determined to throw that all away. To let go of all of the pain and anger I caused you."

"You are ready to let it all go."

"You never hurt me. I know how hard it is to forgive someone after they have ruined your life and for that reason I cannot believe you when you say you love me."

"I mean no offence when I say this, but I am not you, Regina. I am far quicker to forgive another for their vices than you are."

"That does not negate the fact that I do not understand any of this," she argued on a miserable and breathy exhale that made him frown deeper, "and you have yet to explain it to anyone."

"That is because every time I start I am yelled at and called crazy and delusional. Yourself included," he noted and she hugged herself tighter with a guilty and apologetic cross of her jaw.

"I want to hear it now," she told him softly and he stepped toward her so he was just within arms reach. It made her insides shake and quiver at the tension that forged between them and she wanted nothing more than to sink in to him and never let go. But she needed answers.

"I will give you words until my throat is raw. But you will not believe a single one of them."

"You sound so sure."

"You are determined not to believe me," he replied softly and she didn't argue. She stood quiet and timid and unsure with those big brown eyes watching every change in his expression, "it is no secret that you put very little confidence in the concept of faith, my darling. You will not trust a word I say until you see it for yourself."

"...What are you proposing?"

"When we believed Archie to be murdered, Emma and Rumple used a dreamcatcher to look through Pongo's memories. Due to the cloak and dagger of your mother's antics we were led astray but I have no intention to hide anything from you. I want you to see the truth, I want you to understand why I am so _adamant_ on loving you," he told her as he took another step forward and she swallowed as her eyes dropped to his lips, "can you not fashion a dreamcatcher to look at my memories yourself?" He questioned gently and she wavered between leaning in to him and leaning away from him while her eyes kept their focus on his lips and her arms hugged herself tighter once more.

"...Yes...I can..."

"Then when you decide you are ready to know, you may come and find me," he instructed kindly and she nodded softly with her eyes still down and away from his. Then in an attempt to see that beautiful smile of hers he teased quietly, "we can always spend a few minutes making out too. That just may help us figure things out," he smirked and he earned himself a laugh and her dark eyes lifting in to his sight again, "perhaps a day or two in bed," he shrugged with another smirk and she laughed a little more, "I imagine we would get a whole lot figured out there," he teased and she relaxed enough for the corners of her eyes to crease with her smile.

"I imagine I will be taking you up on that," she told him softly and felt her confidence waver at the confession but was reassured by his tender smile.

"I wouldn't have offered if it wasn't an option," he assured just as softly as she had spoken. For the first time since he had woken up his heart felt at peace. She had never smiled at him like she was then. Calm and content and open. Her eyes soft and warm. Progress.


	17. Chapter 17

**One day I will get this updating thing down lol! I'm sorry there has been such large gaps between chapters! I promise I am trying to make them smaller. Hope you enjoy the update! I'm off to work on the next one!**

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 _She did not want to be there. She hated these parties, she hated being paraded around by her mother to lure in a decent suitor. Perhaps she would enjoy the parties more if she were allowed to do as she pleased at them. But they were all forced smiles and pushed laughter while most men took it upon themselves to let their hands wander her figure. It was an act that made her even more furious and disgusted than usual. She wanted no one's hands on her but her stableboy's and any other's made her skin crawl._

 _The ones who didn't grope her were awkward or boring or so completely narcissistic she may as well not exist. So she stood to the side as much as she could and watched the other girls and women laugh and dance with one another or the men of their fancy. She watched them having fun and tried her best not to hate them for it. She wished she could join them. But she knew her mother would have none of it._

 _When she was asked to dance once more, a denial was the first thing on her tongue. But when she caught her mother's eye across the ballroom, she swallowed her distaste and irritability put on yet another smile as she dipped her head in agreement. So she was roped in to another dance and she hid the tired sigh as she mindlessly followed the steps and admired the masks everyone wore._

 _Some were beautiful, some were simple, others were obnoxious or huge. She had danced with a man dressed as a crow and the beak on his mask had nearly taken her eye out on more than one occasion. Or the travelling prince who had come with something representing an elephant on his face. The masks were endless and new ones entered as the night went on. But the one she danced with now held nothing fascinating so she answered what questions he asked her but her eyes were studying the purple feathered and jewelled mask of a woman laughing at the edge of the dance floor._

 _Or the yellow mask dancing beside her. Laced with gold and silver and revealing only the smile on the woman's mouth._

 _The very moment Regina was able to slip away, she did. She took it and didn't look back. Gave her masked partner a simple excuse and thanked him for the dance and took a deep breath once she was free of him. But she didn't make it off the floor before her hand was taken in another's and she was once again being pulled in to a dance she wanted no part of. She was tired and done and had a sharp comment on the tip of her tongue but something made her pause when she laid eyes on the man._

 _Wealthy was the first thing that came to mind as she examined and felt the fabric he wore. And the colours. Rich purple coat with a high and sharp collar and bright silver and ebony black accents. Clean shaven. Tall and strong. Hair combed. His mask was a matte black with accents and swirls in thin strands of dark metal that her eyes couldn't help but follow. It was a very tasteful and intricate mask. It covered his face around both his blue eyes, his nose, and down the right side of his face, chin, and the majority of his forehead leaving only the bottom left quadrant of his face exposed._

 _From what she could tell, he had a very kind face. A gentle mouth and warm eyes. She felt incredibly comfortable in his hold and there was a distinct familiarity to his touch that brought her voice back to her, "David?"_

 _"I hope I haven't crashed your party," he teased and immediately there was a bright and wide grin on her face and he spun her out and back in with the dance._

 _She was laughing when she was back in his arms and suddenly her feet no longer hurt and her mind was no longer tired. Suddenly, for the first time, she was enjoying herself, "what are you doing in here?"_

 _"If you believed I would drive you and your mother all the way up here and not sneak in to steal a dance with you, I will be very disappointed," he smirked and she laughed as the dance continued._

 _"Well I had hoped but I didn't believe it possible."_

 _"You underestimate me, love."_

 _"Clearly I do," she laughed and felt the sudden desire to cry she was so relieved and happy to see him. It had been such an awful night and she had missed him. But there was no time for tears as he spun her around and around until she was dizzy and stumbling in to him when he brought her back in._

 _"You look beautiful this evening," he complimented as he held her flush to him and continued to dance._

 _"Thank you," she smiled and no longer cared for any other mask than his, "you are looking quite fine as well. Wherever did you get such a costume?"_

 _"I was going to borrow one from this Lord's home," he smirked and she laughed, "but I was saved the hassle when I was gifted with this one."_

 _"By who?"_

 _"I mustn't reveal such secrets, m'lady," he smirked and she laughed in delight and amusement as he intertwined their fingers. He had promised the old man he wouldn't tell his daughter that he had sent him with such attire. Custom made so that Cora would never recognize it. David had been confused by the gift and then panicked by the news that the old man had known about himself and Regina since what was very likely the very beginning of their relationship. It was unsettling and worrisome but he was quickly reassured by Henry when he promised aid in keeping it a secret and assisting in covering their tracks should they need him._

 _He wanted his daughter to be happy for as long as she could. He knew very well his wife was going to ruin their daughter and he had said that David was the first thing to give him hope of sparing his daughter from Cora's wrath and the darkness waiting to swallow Regina whole. David was surprised to learn of the old man's support and encouragement but the longer it sat in his mind the more relieved he became. They had someone on their team and that made things so much easier._

 _When questioned why he didn't wish his daughter to know of his approval and aid, the man merely smiled and said it was good for her to have a secret that was all hers. It had made David smile too and he thanked the old man for his gift and promised his daughter would come home happy. Henry couldn't wait._

 _"Not even a hint?"_

 _"No," he smiled and she grinned and let it go._

 _"Is this one of your 'I know the future' moments?"_

 _"No," he laughed and spun her out again._

 _"Well aren't you just full of surprises," she laughed and found herself in love with him all over again. He wasn't even carrying himself like he usually did. He was moving like every other royal snob with too much power and too much money and it baffled her. It would certainly fool her mother. She loved it. She loved it so much. "You are making me doubt you are nothing more than a stableboy," she laughed and waited curiously for the answer when he grinned._

 _"Oh? And why is that?"_

 _"You fit in to this crowd with far too great an ease to be a simple stableboy," she reasoned with a smirk and he chuckled as he turned them in their dance and she effortlessly followed his lead. It was as though dancing was second nature to him. She couldn't help but laugh. She was surprised and delighted by everything he was doing._

 _"Well if I were to be completely honest, I have never been a stableboy. Not until I came under your family's hire," he smirked and she laughed once more._

 _"I don't even know what to say to that," she shook her head and loved him even more, "is anything I know about you true?"_

 _"Maybe you just don't know me well enough," he grinned._

 _"Not your past," she agreed with a wide smile and he nodded with his lips pursed in an amused smirk, "you haven't been all that willing to share."_

 _"Well I had a lot to hide."_

 _"And now that I know of your queen?"_

 _"Perhaps we can get a little more in depth," he promised kindly and those words were just the ones she wanted to hear. Her eyes were even brighter from behind her navy blue mask and he wanted so badly to kiss those blood red lips. "But not here," he noted and she didn't argue. Simply smiled brighter and then glanced in the direction of her mother to find her staring studiously back at her trying to figure out who exactly she was dancing with. And dancing with so happily and so willingly after she had gritted her teeth for every other partner._

 _David knew he was quickly going to catch Cora's attention but he had every intention to never get anywhere near her until the evening's end when he drove them back to the manor. "Ready?" He asked quietly and then spun her under his arm once more in time with the rest of the dancers around them._

 _"For what?" She asked and grinned at the playful glint in his eye. Not a moment later there was a huge ruckus and when Regina snapped her head toward it along with the rest of the hall, she saw her mother jumping and turning with her hands up as a trio of teenage boys burst in behind her hollering and smashing harmless spell bombs in her proximity. But that was all she saw for at the very same moment, David was pulling her away from the scene and she was quick to run with him and out of the hall laughing and with their heads ducked._

 _They ran and they ran, hand in hand until they found themselves outside in a courtyard under the stars with the cool fresh air surrounding them. It was cold against her skin but she loved it and let go of his hand so she could throw her arms out and spin as she laughed and he watched. She had never had such a great time at a party and it had only been a handful of minutes. She couldn't even comprehend what it would have been like to have him the whole night from start to finish._

 _"This is amazing!" She laughed as she spun one more circle and stopped when she was facing him, her gown twirling around her legs even after she stopped, "you are wonderful."_

 _"You are more so," he smiled with a dip of his head and she grinned even wider and laughed joyously once more._

 _"Who were those boys?! How did you know they would interrupt the party?! Did you pay them?"_

 _"I was prepared to. But I started with telling them they got to piss off a cranky old witch so that a beautiful young woman could escape and enjoy herself for an evening. They were more eager to take the task than I expected," he smiled and she laughed through her smiling teeth, "they got nothing material in return for their efforts. Simply the satisfaction of crashing a party and scaring a stone faced woman," he smirked and shrugged a shoulder, "I would have done the same had I been in their place."_

 _With a thrilled laugh Regina bounced up to him and jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed him and he caught her with his arms around her middle so her feet were off the ground. She grinned and laughed against his mouth as she kicked her feet up behind her and he laughed with her. She was so happy she could hardly stand herself and she couldn't stop smiling even if she wanted to._

 _"I love you more than words can say," she told him against his lips and he laughed softly, "my knight in shining armour coming to my rescue," she teased and then kissed him again as he slowly let her slide back down so her feet were on the cobblestone once more._

 _"Always," he promised with a elated grin because he had never seen such an expression on her face. It was the very definition of utter joy. He had never seen a wider smile or brighter eyes. It had him falling even harder for her._

Regina was only cut off from his memories when the dreamcatcher slipped from her fingertips. Her mind was chaos and her heart was pounding in her ears as she tried to catch her breath and make sense of all that she had seen. All that she had felt.

"Regina," he called softly to try and pull her out of whatever rabbit hole her mind had found itself following. But she didn't respond and simply stated at her hands while her breaths grew drastically more inconsistent. So he called again and reached forward to carefully envelope her shaking hands in his steady ones, "Regina."

"I-I remember all of that. I...I remember that ball, I remember those masks, I-...how did you know of that? How did you know of any of it? Th-the unicorns, and the names of the villagers, of Molly, how do you know I-"

"I didn't know any of it," he assured softly as he rubbed his thumbs over her hands and she shook her head in confusion while her mind soared and tried its best to make sense of what she had seen. "I knew next to nothing about you until I fell victim to the dreamshade and your magic came in to play."

"But how? I-I remember being there, those are my memories, I remember-" she was cut off with a sharp breath as she tried to calm herself down and then continued as her mind raced, "I remember being there, I remember being miserable, I remember going home miserable, I remember wishing someone good would relieve me of such an awful night, I-I don't understand why or how you have the same memories. I don't understand how you changed them, I don't understand why you changed them-"

"I had an interesting conversation with my mother in there, as you saw, and I know she was just a piece made up by my memories and my subconscious but she gave me a very clever theory that eventually I accepted to be valid," he started and kept his voice soft and calm while she remained frazzled and emotional. Her dark and watery eyes flicking back and forth between his steady blue before he looked down to her shaking hands and started drawing random patterns over her soft skin with his fingertips.

"She said that your heart and your magic conspired together to take advantage of the dreamshade and create a world that left us both free. I was alone. I had no one in my life, I was not married, and your dark past had been erased. For the first time in the many complicated versions of our lives, we were allowed to be happy together. We were allowed to love one another," he drifted off softly and his heart ached with the need to bring her closer while her hands stayed so comfortable and relaxed in his hold.

"Why?" She breathed with a shake of her head as new tears rolled down her cheeks and he looked back up at her, "why would my memories fill your head? Why would they be the base of this world you lived in? Why would my magic take such incentive to catch your attention?"

"Because you wanted my attention," he offered gently and she opened her mouth to argue but a moment later it was closed and her eyes fell to her lap. "I wanted yours too," he told her softly and cautiously her eyes lifted to his, "I was just angry that I did. I wasn't supposed to want your attention, I wasn't supposed to want you, but I did and I still do. I took it out on you just as you did on me. But we don't have to fight, Regina," he breathed with a pleading smile and a shake of his head, "I tried fighting you, I tried fighting her, and it was so completely pointless. It was such a waste of time for that time could have been spent loving one another. I want nothing but to be with you at your side like I was before."

"You were never at my side," she argued and her eyes fell to their hands and then the dreamcatcher on the floor.

"No," he agreed softly and she refused to look him in the eye, "but I was with a part of you. And that part made me love you, this current and complicated person before me, even more. I know what I want and I know what I feel. The question remains to be; what do you want?" He told her kindly and she looked up at him for a long few seconds before she withdrew her hands from his only to reach a little higher and cradle his head between them.

"I know what I want," she breathed as her thumbs rubbed over his stubbled jaw and her eyes darted between his. He was so quiet and calm and when his hands hung off of her wrists she came to realize just how much her heart was racing and just how thick her throat had become.

"Why are you holding back?" He asked gently as he rubbed his thumb over her hand.

"I don't know how to love you," she confessed quietly and her eyes fell to his lips as her thumb traced his bottom one and her brow furrowed, "and I don't trust you to give me the time and patience I need."

"Please," he breathed and her face showed just how much it was killing her to not dive in to him head first, "tell me what you need. I don't want to make this hard for you."

"It is going to be hard no matter what."

"Fair. But I know there are at least a few things I can help with," he told her and she fell silent as her soft thumb ran over his bottom lip again. She was so beautiful.

"I think...I just need to see more," she replied and he nodded once with his head still between his hands, "I just don't understand your...devotion"

"You may see as much as you like, my darling Regina," he breathed softly with a slight shake of his head.


	18. Chapter 18

**That episode was harsh. And cruel and unfair. I am furious and heartbroken that he got such a poor send off. And that he had to leave at all. But anyway I hope this soothes the pain for a little while or at least distracts you from it. Enjoy! And please leave a review :***

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 _"Do you know you have magic?" He asked as his fingertips trailed softly down the line of her spine. She didn't move at the sound of his voice. She remained laying on her stomach with her head turned to him while it laid on her crossed forearms but her pleasant and contented smile had disappeared at the question. In its place was a distressed frown that knitted her brow ever so slightly and it had him dipping his head to press a kiss to her shoulder while his fingers swirled over her tailbone._

 _"I do not have magic," she denied as she lifted her head and propped herself up on her elbows._

 _"You doubt me?" He questioned against her skin before he pressed another soft kiss to her shoulder._

 _His tone was meant to remind her that he knew what she was going to live through. It made her stomach churn and her frown pull deeper, "I do not want magic."_

 _He was genuinely surprised by her answer. Surprised enough to lift his head and look her straight in the eye only to furrow his brow in curiously at the amount of distress in her expression. So he asked softly, "no?"_

 _"No."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"I hate magic," she answered sharply and when his expression softened in to understanding, she averted her eyes to her fingers and worked the tension from her jaw, "my reasons are my own. But they seem to eventually be proven valid for I do not imagine I would have earned the title of the Evil Queen if I had not had magic."_

 _"Mmm. Her downfall in her magic was that she gave in to Rumplestiltskin. She allowed him to mentor her and he trained her to pull her magic from her anger and burning hatred toward the world. While her temper is still short and she does falter from time to time, she was growing quite adept at using her magic for good. I see no reason why you cannot learn to use your magic out of happiness and love right from the beginning."_

 _"The fact remains that I do not want to have it. I do not want to use it."_

 _"Well you do have it. And I believe you will enjoy it if you learn it correctly. If you learn to use it from happiness and from love," he told her softly and she remained dead silent. So he let it be silent for awhile as he trailed his fingers down her arm to her elbow and then back up to her shoulder. Then he smirked a little and tipped his head forward with a quiet voice, "you could use it to get away from Cora," he told her and then softly kissed her bare shoulder, "and come see me," he added and pressed another kiss to her shoulder before he looked her in the eye once more. She was protesting the thought of her magic less but she still wasn't keen on it. It made him smile._

 _"Why are you telling me this now? You've been here nearly a year and you have never brought it up before."_

 _"I can feel it now," he answered gently and she grew anxious and still, "it is warm and it is strong and I don't want you to stress yourself out trying to reject it. It is a part of you and it is beautiful. I want you to learn to use it for you. I don't want you to be forced to learn it in darkness. I want you to learn while you are safe and while you are happy. I want you to learn in the light rather than in the dark for there is no reason you shouldn't love this part of yourself."_

 _"...How long have you been feeling it?"_

 _"Not that long. Perhaps a couple weeks."_

 _"...Well...thank you for telling me sooner rather than later," she supposed quietly but couldn't stop the churning of her stomach._

 _"Just because you have it doesn't mean you need to use it," he told her gently and she looked him in the eye. So he smiled a little with a shake of his head, "you simply must learn how to use it and how to control it lest you find yourself in a situation where it fires off unexpectedly."_

 _She stared at him for a long time after that and he let it go in silence as his fingertips continued to travel over her soft skin. He wanted to know what she was thinking but he let her thoughts be her own and simply waited patiently for her. It was by no means small news. It was life changing and therefore he let her think and stayed there in case she needed him._

 _It took a couple minutes but eventually she pulled herself closer to him and rolled to her side so she could nuzzle her face in to his neck and press herself to him. Stomach to stomach, chest to chest, her nose and forehead in his neck, and his arms around her while her's played over his skin._

 _"Does my mother know?"_

 _"Not that I am aware. I don't believe she knew until it was used against her when...well...later," he replied and hugged her closer. Once again she fell silent but he busied himself with her long silky hair and continued to play in it when her voice was heard once more._

 _"...I do like the thought of easier escape to you..." She admitted and let out a long relaxed sigh when his throat vibrated with his reply._

 _"Not all magic is bad," he smiled and she sunk deeper in to him._

 _"I love you, stableboy."_

 _"I love you, Regina."_

It was just a quick memory but she found it was often the quick ones, the ones that were so easily resolved, and so easily concluded, that had the biggest affect on her. Would it have been so easy to deter her from the dark? Just one person to tell her that her magic could be used for good? Just one person to tell her she had magic in the first place so that she could decide herself how to use it? Just one person to be there?

Daniel was good. She loved Daniel, Daniel was her rock, he was her everything, but he was not as wise as David had been in that time. Daniel was naive while David was cautious. He was frustrated with secrets shadows while David created a maze of them just for her. What would have happened to her had David been there in her life? Would he too die under Cora's hand? She knew she would find out soon enough but it didn't matter how many memories she watched, they were never going to give her the answer she desired most.

What would happen if she gave in to him now.

"What are you looking at?"

Regina couldn't help but jump at the curious voice of the bookworm but she was quick to gather herself again with a long and quiet exhale, "nothing. It's a dreamcatcher."

"Well yes I can see that," Belle chuckled lightly as she walked past the queen to return a book to its designated spot in her majesty's home library, "but if I recall correctly, dreamcatchers allow you to look upon the memories of another."

"Why are you still here? I thought you had left hours ago."

"I got distracted upstairs by another one of your beautiful books," she smiled and then sat down at the table with Regina, "is it yours?"

"Is what mine?" She questioned in a bored tone as she played with one of the feathers hanging from the dreamcatcher. Jet black but shone with an iridescent dark blue when the light hit it just right.

"The memory."

"No. Some of them are...partially mine I suppose but no. They are not mine."

She had not been expecting such a curious and complex answer. It peaked her interest and had her leaning forward just a little while Regina kept her eyes down on the intricate dreamcatcher on the table in front of her. "How can a memory be partially yours?"

"They are the foundation. Then they were manipulated to become...better."

"Better?"

"Yes."

"So you are...replacing your memories with these ones?"

"No don't be ridiculous," Regina murmured irritably.

"Well then why are you going through memories that aren't yours?"

"They were given to me to try and help me understand."

"To understand what? Who gave them to you?" Belle was simply answered with silence and a crossed jaw from the brunette. Such a finicky and stubborn woman, "fine. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't waste my time," she stated plainly and tiredly as she stood up and started walking away. God forbid she actually want to crack in to that dense armour of hers. She was an absolute delight when she wasn't so chilly.

Regina kept her eyes on the dreamcatcher as Belle walked around the table but her focus was elsewhere. Before the bookworm got too far she questioned quietly and tried to keep her voice as level as possible, "do you really love Rumplestiltskin?"

Belle stopped immediately at the question and twisted back to look at the queen still dutifully staring at her dreamcatcher. "Yes. Yes of course I do," she replied with a curious furrow to her brow. It was an odd question to say the least.

"Hmm..." She hummed shortly with a frown and a furrow of her brow as she tried to understand the woman's answer. It was to no avail though, "how?"

"What do you mean how?" She frowned as she pivoted on the spot so her whole body was facing Regina's side.

"How can you love someone so dark? Someone who has performed so many...unforgivable things? Someone with a heart so black it puts coal to shame?"

There was a gap of silence between them. One that was tense and heavy and despite being very quick to figure out the queen wasn't truly inquiring about Rumple, there was still a great delay before Belle's response. Cryptic as it may have been, Regina was letting herself be vulnerable in front of her and it caught Belle by surprise. "You mean a heart as black as yours?" Belle inquired carefully and kindly and it was Regina's turn to hesitate to answer.

So Belle watched every movement carefully. The tense and slow movement of her fingers as she ran them down the feathers of the dreamcatcher. The clenching of her jaw. The way she tried even harder to avoid looking her in the eye. And then finally the small and anxious swallow after she licked her burgundy lips.

"Yes."

Again there was hesitation in her response but as Belle watched the queen grow more tense and uncomfortable and her fingers grow more sharp in their movements, she stepped back up to the table and quietly settled in the chair closest to her. It wasn't directly beside her but if she so desired she could reach forward and settle her hands over the queen's atop the dreamcatcher. But they stayed in her lap and she shook her head softly.

"Regina...you are far from unloveable."

"Hm."

"I'm serious," she told her quietly but firmly and the woman merely crossed her jaw in reply and lowered her eyes further, "after what you put me through, my name should be on the list of people who find you intolerable. And yet I am in your home almost every day for hours on end and I will not hesitate to admit that I have grown to actually enjoy your company. You are truly quite likeable when you're not trying to kill people," she smiled a little but Regina kept her eyes down while her finger spun a purple bead in the webbing of the dreamcatcher. "Anyone in particular bringing this on? The giver of those memories perhaps?" She questioned carefully and Regina rocked her tight jaw from side to side as she contemplated her answer.

"Yes."

"May I ask who?"

"You may ask all you like. But I will not guarantee an answer," she drawled out plainly while the tension she held in her body began to make every muscle ache. She didn't know this bookworm. She didn't know if she could or should be trusted with such insights to the turmoil inside her heart and mind. And yet here she was, practically confiding in the naive brunette sitting on the edge of her seat.

Once more there was a pause in the conversation between them and once again it was not because Belle didn't have an answer but because she didn't know if it should be spoken. So she waited and tried to weigh her options. But the burning need for an answer got the best of her and she spoke quietly, "it's David isn't it," she offered and for the first time in their conversation she saw Regina's dark eyes. Dark and beautiful and guarded, "you have fallen in love with him somewhere along the line haven't you. That's why you were so worried while he was asleep."

Once more a long pause stretched out between them and when she was ready to reply, Regina's eyes dipped back down to the dreamcatcher that held more information than she likely wanted or needed, "it is no real secret that David has woken up confused."

"It is news to someone like me who keeps her nose in a book every moment she can," she noted and Regina didn't reply, "and I don't believe you want to believe he is confused."

"What I want and what is true are two entirely different things."

"What if they're not?"

"Are you telling me I should run in to the arms of a married man, dear Belle?" Regina questioned with a bitter smile and a smooth tone as her finger slid around a quarter of the ring of the dreamcatcher. Silence. "Does the knowledge of it being David who seems to have pulled me in to his infatuation with me change your answer? Your sweet little pep talk over how I don't have to be alone in this world?" She pressed with a raise of an eyebrow as she looked the librarian in the eye.

Silence once more. She did not expect an answer right away but when the woman didn't respond in the allotted time, Regina breathed a small and rather bitter laugh as she stood and walked away.

"No," Belle answered quietly and the queen stopped in her tracks with one hand on the doorframe and her head turned so Belle could study her profile. Flawless and absolutely beautiful. "It doesn't change my answer. It merely complicates things," she told her and Regina lingered, "the fact that you are hesitating to give in to whatever claims he has given you only proves to me that you are more than you believe yourself to be. You are protecting yourself until you know it is real. You love him but you will not allow your heart be his toy. I believe that to be entirely fair. It is just unfortunate that the situation is...messy," she settled on and Regina stayed in the doorway for a few breaths longer as she thought about her words. And then she left without a word and Belle's gaze dropped to the dreamcatcher.

...

"I have to go. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Are you avoiding me or do you actually have something to do?" David asked simply and Emma hesitated and then stopped and pivoted to face him.

"Both."

"You can't avoid me forever, Emma."

"No. But I don't particularly feel like getting all that in depth on how you've fallen in love with Regina in your sleep," she answered with a tight smile and David nodded in gentle understanding.

"It isn't going away."

"So you keep telling me. And everyone else."

"Well it is the truth."

"I don't know. Something about Prince Charming falling head over heels for the Evil Queen over Snow White just doesn't exactly feel believable."

"Well I didn't fall head over heels for the Evil Queen," he shrugged and Emma gave him an irritable huff of laughter in return.

"You seem pretty intent on loving her at the moment."

"Emma you have never met the Evil Queen. You may believe you have but you have met no one of the sort."

"So the woman who tried to put me under a sleeping curse was...?"

"I know we are not on particularly good terms regarding trust but I do hope you believe me when I say that if you had been dealing with the Evil Queen in full force, you would not have survived more than a day in Storybrooke," he shook his head and then laughed, "you would have lasted hours you were lucky. You don't understand how far she has come since our time in the Enchanted Forest. She is still undoubtedly irascible at the best of times but do not be so naive as to think you are dealing with the Evil Queen today. There is a reason she got her title and it certainly wasn't because she was a harsh and manipulative mayor," he explained and Emma stared back at him with her arms folded and her weight shifted to one leg.

"The fact still remains that she is not Snow. She is not your wife," she argued sharply and he hummed shortly in reply. It was a short and quiet sound as he dropped his eyes to his desk but its tone implied there was more he wished to answer with than a simple hum. Almost as though he was implying that Regina was his wife. But before she could get it out of him, her ears tuned in to the sound of a quiet and even rhythm of stilettos tapping against the linoleum. It seemed David tuned in to it as well just a moment later and the hopeful glint in his eye as he looked past her to the door made her want to scream. So she left.

Quickly and without a word, she slipped out of the office and blew past Regina without so much as a glance in her direction.

Regina let her go without a word and merely swivelled her head a little to watch her pass. But as soon as the station's doors had opened and closed, Regina continued on her path. She thought she had had herself under control and that she would not react when she saw him but the moment she laid eyes on him and he smiled at her, her hear was in her throat. It was strange being greeted with a smile and being greeted with a smile from him turned her knees to jelly.

"Hello," he smiled with a gentle dip of his head and watched her step closer and closer.

"Hello."

"Did you need something?"

"No...I was just...trying to find something to do and decided I would come here."

"What for?"

"I...wanted to see you," she answered with a significantly more timid voice and couldn't resist the urge to drop her eyes to her toes.

If he had the words to express the joy that burst his heart at her answer he would never stop singing them. She was coming to him now of her own accord just because she wanted to. No other reason than that. He was smiling at her in complete and utter adoration and when she lifted those dark chocolate eyes once more, he nodded at her with a slight smirk tainting his smile, "I've always loved you in a three piece suit," he told her and her eyes flitted down over her choice of attire.

Everything tailored to perfection. It wasn't the same but it was a very similar outfit to the one she was in when the curse broke in the first place. Navy trousers, vest, blazer, and a white buttoned shirt. Black stilettos. "You make it incredibly sexy," he noted and felt his heart leap when her red lips pursed in to a smile she tried and failed to hide from him.

"Thank you," she replied with a subtle quirk of her head and he practically grinned at her. She had never felt more giddy than she did right then standing in front of him. Then somewhere deep down she found a little courage and began stepping a little closer to him, "since we are on the topic, my mind is far more inclined to wander after you have rolled up sleeves," she stated plainly but her lips tugged up in to a delighted smile when he started laughing on the other side of his desk.

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"I will certainly file that away then for future reference," he grinned and she smirked a little as her hips swayed to a still and her hands clasped behind her back as she scanned the items on his desk. She was so incredibly beautiful. He just wanted to touch her and never stop. He wanted to hold her and never let go. This world suited her so well.

"School will be over soon," he noted and she listened curiously, "does Henry have plans for the evening?"

"Yes actually. He and Tinkerbell had made plans to go to the arcade," she answered and he chuckled lightly as he stood up and her stomach fluttered.

"I imagine that would be an exciting place for someone not from this world," he laughed as he folded his arms and leaned the side of his thigh in to the short end of his desk while she remained standing at its long side.

"I would have to agree," she smiled and he breathed one more laugh, "why?"

"Simply scoping out your plans for the rest of the day."

"Oh?"

"Are you hungry?"

"...Why?"

"If you are I would like to buy you something to eat," he smiled and she hesitated and subtly began blocking herself off from him.

"A date?"

"Doesn't have to be," he shook his head once with a smile and she thought about it. "We could talk about...budgets," he offered with a thoughtful nod and her closed lips quickly pulled in to an amused smile that had him cracking one of his own, "or something of that nature."

"I suppose I could eat," she smiled a little and felt her heart skip about when his face lit up even brighter.

"Excellent."

...

Their budget meeting had extended well in to the evening. It had been so much easier to talk with him than she had believed and it didn't take long for her to completely forget that they were surrounded by watching eyes. Their conversation had started out work related but slowly morphed in to tales of their time in the Enchanted Forest and how irritating they had found one another. His optimistic, self righteous, do-gooder character and her vicious, twisted, sick one. He had wanted to wring her neck until she stopped breathing and she wanted to flick him out of her way like an ant on her path. And yet they laughed about it now.

It was so completely strange to her that they were able to find humour in it all. Well not all, of course, but the grand scheme of it all. Mostly the little things she had done to pester them or hinder their efforts. He would groan and tell it from his point of view and she would laugh in delight that her tricks and traps had resulted in such irritation and he would laugh just because she was.

They were enthralled with one another and she had never been so able to freely talk about her past trusting that the ears listening were not going to turn her away or judge her harshly for it. It was such a relief, such a weight off her shoulders. Those deeper and darker topics were delved in to when they were away from the diner though. They were only touched when there were minimal ears listening as they wandered through the park as the sun set.

It was so easy to talk with him and that was something she did not expect. Even though she had fallen for him, she had believed that talking to him was going to be the hardest piece. Whether they would jump in to a relationship or avoid it, she believed the conversations were going to be filled with tension and silence. But they flowed as easily as one breath in to the next. Fluid and seamless.

Oh and how she loved it when he managed to sneak in a touch that lit her body on fire. It was never too much but it was also never enough. She had lost track of all the times she had nearly reached over and taken his hand in hers. She knew he wouldn't complain, she knew he would happily take her hand and never let go, but that didn't make it any less terrifying to follow through and take it herself. So she kept her jacket hooked on her fingers and slung over her shoulder and lived for the times he would gently bump in to her side with the sway of their strides or a teasing comment.

She was a jittery mess when it came to getting close to him. She lost virtually all self control when his hands were on her. It was electric, it was sharp, it was warm, it was soft, it was overwhelming. She wanted to drown in him but she remained walking at his side up her front path as their conversation slowly and effortlessly came to a close. By the time she had stepped up to her front door their voices had fallen silent and she turned in her place so she could face him once more. He was smiling at her. A kind and curious little thing and she realized that he truly was happy to just be there with her. They didn't even have to do anything. He had told her as such many times before but she didn't believe him until then. Right then as he stood in front of her on her porch with the easiest of smiles and blue eyes that were practically sparkling.

"I really enjoyed our...outing," she smiled and he smiled even more, "far more than I believed I was going to."

"I am glad to hear that," he chuckled softly and felt his chest swell with warmth. He was finally breaking ground and he couldn't be happier. He still fought for his next words though. Their evening had been so full of easy conversation but his next ones were carefully thought on lest he throw too much implication at her or blow off the significance of the evening altogether. So he paused for just a moment and covered the silence with his soft laugh and a bright smile as her dark eyes filled with even more life, "I very much enjoyed it too."

Regina hummed a pleased little sound and then dropped her eyes to her toes for a moment before she turned to look over her shoulder at her front door and then back at David, "would you like to come in?"

The offer made him smile but the timidness in her voice that she tried to cover did not go unnoticed and he shook his head as he stepped closer to her. "If I go in there I will help you make dinner, I will not be able to keep my hands off of you, I will eat at your dining room table, we will pretend to lose track of time, and when the sun sets we will both silently agree that it is too late for me to go home and that I may as well just stay the night. We will pretend, for a moment, that it means nothing but when you show me to the guest room I will kiss you and I will end up in your bed instead doing things to you best not mentioned outside of closed walls," he told her gently; plainly and softly narrating how their night would unfold and she didn't argue. Not even once. Not even a slight shift in weight or a lip twitched in disagreement.

"I would love to come in. But I do not know if you are ready for me to," he told her gently and her eyes dropped to his chest as she opened her mouth to answer but closed it and tried to figure out what she wanted to say.

Her stomach was hot and fluttery and she could hear her blood pulsing in her ears as she fought herself over her answer. The night he described was one she could see, it was one she could feel, it gave her goosebumps and shot shivers down her spine while her stomach filled with heat. It was one she knew she would fall victim to the moment she let him in her home and she wanted him to. She wanted him to do as he said he would. She wanted him to force her hand because she knew she was going to waste time being hesitant.

"I want to be ready," she breathed and he took half a step closer which had her eyes lifting to his. His expression was serious but it was so incredibly tender that it stole her breath and made her knees weak. She wanted him so bad it nearly put her in tears and she hated that she wasn't brave enough to take him.

"But you are not," he replied softly and gently like both a question and an answer and her brow furrowed as her lips parted to speak and her eyes fell to his mouth.

"I-," she stumbled and the silence lingered between them for a few more moments before it was broken by the opening of the front door.

"Oh!" Henry jumped in surprise as he looked between his mother and David and neither one spoke a word but it didn't take any boy genius to know he had interrupted something. "Sorry...I was just...I'm gonna let this spider outside," he excused awkwardly as he crouched down and lifted the empty glass off of his sheet of homework so the spider could scramble away in to the garden. Both adults watched the affair silently and when Henry stood back up he lingered there with his eyes flipping between his mother and David.

He could see better than ever now that there was something between them. Some form of tension that pulled them together that his mother was trying to resist. It was absolutely fascinating to him to watch his mother yearn for something. Her eyes down, her body swaying toward David but her mind pulling her away, her lips tight, her brow slightly furrowed in pain and distress. She wanted to be with David and Henry was surprised to find that he was sad that she was fighting him.

And David. He was looking at her as though she was the most precious thing in the world. The most valuable of treasures. Henry had never seen anyone look at his mother like that. He could have stayed there for quite awhile longer just watching them and trying to figure them out. But he had already been there too long staring at them. So before it got even more awkward, Henry glanced back at his feet to make sure the spider was no longer there and then started backing in to the house with his eyes back on the trouble pair in front of him, "sorry, I um...I'll be back inside...it was nice seeing you David."

"It was good seeing you too, kid," David smiled at him and watched as he sent one more glance to his mother's back before he closed the front door and left them alone once again. "They always have the best timing, don't they," he breathed as he looked at the closed white door. But when he looked back at Regina it was because she had taken nearly a full step toward him and had hesitantly placed her fingertips on his stomach and kept her eyes down. He couldn't help the soft sigh that left his nose nor could he help the slight tip of his body toward her's at her touch. He wanted her so much.

"I want to be ready," she whispered as her fingers gripped his shirt and smoothed it back down again, "but I never will be on my own," she breathed with a furrowed brow and a slight shake of her head.

"You will be."

"No...I don't believe I will," she argued softly and he lifted a hand to rub his thumb over her cheek. A hand she was quick to lean in to, "I am standing right on the edge but I cannot bring myself to jump. I need to be pushed," she breathed and her hands took grasp of his shirt once more as she leaned in close enough for her breasts for graze his chest and her thighs to do the same.

"I don't want you to regret it in the morning," he frowned softly and bumped his nose against hers before he tipped his forehead against hers as her fingers spread over his stomach once more and smoothed his shirt.

"I don't see how I could," she told him softly as he gently took her chin in his fingers and rubbed his thumb over it.

"Perhaps I should have chosen better words," he started and slid his thumb over her chin once more, "I do not want you to feel guilt in the morning," he modified and she fell silent. That silence lingered for a few more breaths but he hardly even noticed with her soft breaths blowing against his skin.

"Then show me I have nothing to feel guilty for," she replied softly and simply and silence lingered between them. When she tipped her head it was to bump her nose against his but he had other ideas and was meeting her in a kiss that truly had her knees giving out. Her hands took fistfuls of his shirt once more as her knees bent and when his free hand slid around to the small of her back to aid in pressing her to him, a soft whine sounded in her throat and against his mouth.

It was firm and strong and warm and so perfectly slow. She could feel every movement his body offered and she absolutely loved that. Her fists gripped tighter in an attempt to try and keep her balance but with her heart racing so frantically and her stomach filled with warmth and butterflies while her skin was riddled with delicious shivers, it was difficult not to sway in to him. She was immersed in him and she didn't want it any other way. But then he broke it softly and tipped his forehead to hers as his fingers smoothed the hair they had tangled.

"Sleep on it, my love," he told her softly and then pressed a chaste but lingering kiss to her full lips, "I don't want anymore heartache between us," he shook his head and she sighed and nodded one subtle nod as she pressed herself even closer to him.

"I want to be ready," she breathed once more with a small distressed frown.

"I am not going anywhere."


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys, I'm sorry this has been taking so long. I am doing my best to keep going for you guys but it has been incredibly difficult to find time to write. My horse has broken her leg in two places and has torn a tendon in that same leg so she is calling for a looooot of my time. I have to be out there twice a day with her doing therapy and then I work a full day in between and then most evenings so I am spread really thin and quite strung out lol but I promise I am doing my very best to write for you guys. It is just taking me a little longer than you all (and myself, believe me) would like.**

 **Anywho, I hope you enjoy the update! The next one will very likely get a little...dirtier ;) hahaha please leave a review! You guys are the best! And thank you so much for being patient!**

* * *

She had slept on it. And when she awoke alone in her bed she felt her throat tighten in grief and loneliness. She found herself regretting not insisting that David come inside for dinner. That she hadn't pulled him in and made him stay. That she hadn't let his narrated evening unfold. But how was she to tell him that?

With a sigh and a frown she rolled to her side so she could face the empty half of her bed and bury half her face in to her pillow. She wanted him there. She wanted to wake up and crawl in to his arms if she wasn't already. She wanted to push her nose in to his neck and wake him with tender kisses over his skin. She wanted his arms around her, big and strong and safe. She hadn't quite expected to feel so strongly about missing him when she woke up. She had missed him that evening when she had gone to bed without him but she hadn't expected it to be more potent than ever before when she awoke.

Her attention drifted to her bedroom door when it slowly and silently pushed open and when her son cautiously poked his head in she smiled a sleepy smile with her head still on her pillow. He didn't say a word in return, he simply smiled back and came in without further hesitation so he could climb in to bed with her and she felt her heart soar with warmth and love for him.

Once he was settled on his side and his eyes on hers he greeted her with a, "can I stay home today?"

To which she responded with a laugh and a quiet, "no."

"Worth a shot," he chuckled softly and she breathed a soft laugh as she moved her head on her pillow so she could see him better.

"What made you come in here?" She asked curiously and he shrugged under the duvet and dropped his eyes from hers.

"I wanted to see if David was in here with you..."

"...Why?"

"I was curious."

"...And if he had been?"

"I don't know...I'd probably be happy I guess..."

His answer caught her by surprise and it showed in the tone of her quiet voice, "happy?"

"Yeah..."

"...Why?"

"Well I've had a lot of time to think about the idea of you two...I mean I was the one that pointed it out to you in the first place...I don't know...I wasn't exactly excited about it but I kind of got used to it. And then when I saw you guys last night...I've known you my whole life and I have never really seen you want anything. I've never seen you fight against something you wanted. I've never seen anything like that from you. You love him and you want to be with him. I've been able to tell that for a long time but actually seeing how much you wanted it last night...watching you hold yourself back from him...it made me sad that you thought you couldn't have it. It makes me sad that you still think you can't.

It makes me sad because you should be happy and you should love and you should be loved. You shouldn't have to push it away. And I saw the way he was looking at you. It was like you were the most precious thing in the whole world to him. He was looking at you like you were his whole world. I don't know why he looks at you like that now, but I want you to have that. I want you to have someone who looks at you like he does...

I just...I really really want you to be happy and seeing how much you wanted him to love you made me really sad because it made me think of the Evil Queen and all those times you kept telling me she had reasons of her own and that she was just really sad and really angry," he hated that his voice was failing him, he hated that it shook with the tears that pricked his eyes but he couldn't stop and he couldn't look at her. "I didn't understand it but last night when I saw you trying so hard not to give in to him but also trying so hard to make him see that you were good enough, I was finally able to understand.

All you have ever wanted was someone to love you, someone to be there for you and take care of you even though you can take care of yourself. All you've ever needed was one person to stand by you and love you no matter what. And that shouldn't be impossible," he cried and glanced up at her and found her to be crying silently with him. But then his eyes were back down and his voice was even shakier and his tears pooled even higher, "but you think it is," he cried and then sniffed and shook his head, "but it's not impossible. It's not. Because I love you and even though I'm not strong enough to always protect you, I do love you and I will stand by you. And David is here, mom," he assured her stubbornly but couldn't look her in the eye.

"He is here and he wants to love you, he wants to give you everything, he wants to be your person. You don't have to be scared of him, you don't have to turn him away. He will make you happy and he will not disappoint you, he won't hurt you. I saw the way he was looking at you. All you have to do is say yes to him and he will be the happiest man alive and he will do everything to make sure you are happy and that you are loved. He knows all of the horrible things you've done and he still looks at you like you are the moon," he told her with a desperate plea as he made himself look her in the eye, both of them just as teary as his, "he is waiting for you, mom. He wants you and I have never seen anyone want you. I have never seen you want anyone. I know you're probably scared but I don't think he is lying. I don't think he's confused. And I just want you to be happy and I just know that you two will be amazing together. And I've only seen you two once," he cried and she was quick to pull him in to her and he was just as quick to follow.

She wrapped her arms around his head and shoulders as she pushed her face in to his hair and he wound his arms right around her middle and breathed soft cries against her chest to try and calm himself down. She had not been expecting such an emotional answer. She had been expecting something more along the lines of he wanted to lay on her comfy bed or that she needed to come down and make him breakfast. She was not expecting him to make her cry.

"Henry," she breathed softly against his ear as her fingers combed and gripped his hair and his hot teary breaths blew against her chest, "you sweet and tender boy," she cooed gently as her tears fell in to his hair and his arms clamped too tightly around her middle, "I love you so much."

"I don't know how," he cried and felt her frown as she pushed her face further in to the side of his head as her fingers played in his hair, "I was so awful to you for so long."

"You are my son," she told him and he breathed a quiet but exhausted sob against her chest, "I will always love you. No matter what," she promised and he held her close and tried to calm settle himself back down. So she closed her eyes as well and tried to quell her own tears, "I didn't realize you were so invested in my love life," she teased softly but pressed a lingering kiss to his temple to assure him she wasn't mocking him in any way. Merely trying to lift his spirits.

"I want you to be happy. Of course I am invested," he told her softly with a quiet sniff.

"But with your beloved Prince Charming?"

"He doesn't love Snow anymore...you can tell when he looks at you."

"I can't quite see it..."

"Well you weren't looking at his face," he reasoned and she stayed silent, "if you really look at him, you will see it what I see."

...

David glanced up from his desk at the sharp reflection of sunlight on a moving windshield and once the bright light was out of his eyes, he recognized Snow's car and sighed. He hadn't heard from her in days. Perhaps even a little over a week. It had been calm and it had been easy and Regina had once murmured something about the pair of them getting in to a spat but she wouldn't let him know any more than that. It was a delicate topic of conversation but he couldn't say why. He himself found it rather exhausting talking with Snow now. He felt like a broken record repeating the same words over and over and over again.

He didn't want to repeat everything again. Especially after he had covered such ground with Regina the night before. He just may snap and lose his temper if Snow came in trying to convince him his heart still belonged to her. So with a irritable frown and a small sigh through his nose, he stood up to prepare himself for whatever was to come through the door.

But when he turned the first thing he saw was not Snow but rather Regina with purple smoke dissipating from around her ankles. It was a confusing sight at first but it only took a moment for a small but thrilled smile to replace his frown. He was not expecting to see her back there so soon but he was absolutely ecstatic that she was.

"Good morning, love," he smiled with a nod but her face remained stoic as her mind raced with thoughts unknown to him. She was only about four strides from him and he waited patiently as she worked through whatever puzzle had filled her mind. When she came to a decision he didn't know what it was, he still didn't know what the question had been. But she was walking toward him and he was resting back in to the front edge of his desk with a smile still curving his mouth. He adored her and her finicky methods of thought. He couldn't help but smile.

But while he was waiting for words, he got something else entirely. Her steps brought her closer than he had expected but he didn't turn her away. Then her hands were lifted to cradle his jaw and her lips parted his in a kiss that had him sucking in a soft inhale through his nose. She had pressed herself to him so their was nothing between them. Nothing but faded jeans and a black pencil skirt between their thighs and hips and nothing but soft grey cotton and thin blue silk between their stomachs and chests.

His hands were quick to find her waist and as her slow and firm kiss continued, his hands slipped down and settled low on her hips. Her mouth was soft and pliant and the subtle scent of coffee on her warm breath had him sighing and delving deeper in to her. She felt like home.

He didn't know what this kiss meant but he had ideas and he hoped he was right. But for those few seconds he simply enjoyed it. He held her close and kissed her back slow and strong and deep, keeping her pace but never taking her control. It was all her and he could barely think straight as her hands slid down his throat and to the collar of his unbuttoned plaid shirt.

Regina had been thinking about him all morning. She had been thinking about doing this all morning. Since she had woken up, since she had dropped Henry off at school, since she had wandered through more of his memories. She could have driven there but she knew she would simply be wringing the life out of her steering wheel the whole way. So she had used her magic and was now enveloped in the man who filled her mind.

Her stomach was warm and fluttering, her spine shivering, her breaths turning in to soft pants, and her heart throbbing in her chest. She wanted him to know how she felt. She wanted him to know that her hands pulling on his shirt meant she wanted him to stay. That her body pressed to his meant she wanted to be his. That her silence was only because she didn't have the courage to use her voice. That the softness and pace of her still firm kiss told him every word her tongue failed to form.

That she loved him. And she wanted to be his.

His hands on her body had her nearly tearing his clothes off. She wanted to let herself relinquish her self control and just fall in to him. Just give in and take him home and fuck one another until they couldn't walk. But instead she softly broke their kiss and her hands kept tight handfuls of his shirt just in case she changed her mind. She wavered the moment his fingers caressed her cheek before threading through her hair.

"My darling queen," he breathed against her lips with a smile and she sunk heavier in to him, bending one knee just enough to tip her forward, "you have always had a gift with timing," he chuckled quietly and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"What do you mean?" She breathed softly and felt her chest tighten in arousal as her breath shuddered with the bump of his nose to her cheek and his hot breath blowing down her neck.

He would give anything to be able to act on the way her hands slid down his abdomen and carefully curled beneath the hem of his grey cotton t-shirt. Her fingertips were soft and light over his skin just above the waist of his pants and they were doing dizzying things to him. He wanted to let her feel more, he wanted her to get lost in him and he in her, he wanted it so dearly. But he couldn't let her. Not at that moment anyway, "I am rather certain Snow has been standing in the doorway for quite some time," he answered regrettably and her hands stilled. Along with the rest of her. He hadn't noticed how much she had been moving to get closer to him until she fell completely still.

Then in an instant she was standing straight with a quiet inhale through her nose and her body was no longer pressed to his as she snapped her head to the door. He missed her already even with his hands still on her.

Regina didn't know if he had been expecting her or had merely noticed her stop in the doorway but Snow was indeed standing there. Her eyes were piercing right in to Regina's and the sneer and pain in them made Regina's heart sink. Not a word was spoken between them and after several long seconds of tense silence, Snow turned and left and surprisingly enough, Regina found herself following, "Snow!"

She followed quickly and David let her slip out of his hold without protest. He simply stayed where he was and she hurried out in to the hall calling, "Snow!" But the girl ignored her and continued furiously on her path to the doors outside. "Snow, wait!" She tried again as she put a jog in her step for a couple strides, "Snow!"

Still Snow didn't so much as acknowledge her presence. So Regina jogged a couple more steps, her stilettos tapping the linoleum and her arm reaching forward as she softened her voice, "Snow," the moment her her hand wrapped around Snow's forearm, the girl was spinning around and Regina was greeted with a hard slap across the left side of her face.

Snow hated what she had done the moment she had done it and the startled gasp that left Regina's lips as she spun a quarter turn away felt like a punch to her gut. But she had done it and it brought tears of utter frustration to her eyes while Regina looked back at her with eyes wide in surprise and a gentle hand over her cheek.

"I trusted you," Snow breathed sharply and miserably as her first tears fell and Regina tried to find her voice, "I trusted you to bring him back to me and now you are taking him away from me," she cried quietly but it was tainted with rage and she hated it. She hated feeling angry, she hated it more than anything. The burning rage that boils in your chest and brings tears to your eyes and a snarl to your mouth. She hated that.

"I didn't want to-," Regina promised with a desperate shake of her head but was quickly cut off by Snow's loud voice.

"But you _did_! You _did_ want to! If you hadn't then none of this would have happened! Your magic wouldn't have run rampant with the dreamshade and created an idealistic _world_ for the pair of you to live in if you hadn't wanted-!"

"I had no control over any of this!"

"But you have control _now_!" Snow cried and Regina bowed her head with a soft and miserable sound before she looked back up and off to the side, "you have control over all of this and you are here! You are here kissing him and letting him touch you!"

"I already told you I could no longer push him away!" Regina cried out and hated that her eyes were starting to burn with the wish to cry.

"You came to him, Regina!" Snow shouted in frustration and despair and Regina was quick to drop her eyes to the floor with her mouth open to speak words that never came, "the very least you could do is stay away!"

"Until what?!" Regina cried out and followed with a miserable laugh, "to what end?! I cannot avoid him forever, I cannot ignore the way I feel, I cannot shut out out the voices in my head, I cannot leave Henry and go somewhere else, and I will not take Henry away from the rest of his family and friends! Even if I did, David would try to follow!"

"I don't want you to leave! I want this to stop!" Snow cried and Regina cried right back.

"I don't know how!" She shouted as her tears fell, "I can't stop! I don't want to stop! It has taken every ounce of my being not to take him and never let go! The only things holding me back were you, Henry, and the fear that David would wake up one morning and despise me once more! But that fear dwindles every hour I spend delving in to what happened to him while he was asleep and as of this morning, you are the only person telling me I can't have him!" She yelled as her tears rolled down her cheeks and Snow was caught between wanting to cry and wanting to choke the life out of her. "I know it is wrong! I know I shouldn't take him, I know I shouldn't want him! But I do! But for the life of my I cannot understand why he is so set on choosing me over you!"

"Of course he is going to choose you!" Snow shouted miserably and a startled and blatant confusion washed over Regina's face. She must have been expecting her to agree that David's choice was misguided but Snow knew better than anyone that it was not. "I wanted you to be cold!" She cried out and Regina looked completely lost, "I wanted him to see the worst of you so that he would come back to me! But you are letting him see what I have always known was there! You are letting him see the good! You are letting him see the pain you hold! You are letting him see the love and the light you hide in your heart! You are letting him see you for who you really are and I have no chance against you! You are beautiful and strong and kind and have always been such an enrapturing puzzle with no end! You are a far better person at heart than I ever-!"

"That is not even remotely true, you foolish girl!"

"It is absolutely true!" She screamed back with a sharp flail and extension of her arms, "you have no idea what you are! I cannot even blame David for falling for you! But I cannot begin to interpret of how furious and how devastated I am! He is my best friend, he is my husband, I love him, and you have taken him from me! He was ripped from me in a moment and there is nothing I can do but stand on the side and watch him invest himself in another woman!"

"I didn't intend for-!"

"I know you didn't!" She cried out, cutting off Regina's angered tone and promptly silencing the hall they stood in. "God!" She cried miserably and covered her mouth with the back of her hand and a stomp of her foot with a slight pivot away from the woman who meant everything to her. "You have no idea what you are capable of, do you," Snow inquired with a shaky and miserable laugh tainting her voice. Regina remained silent. "You have truly taken everything from me and yet I stand here completely unable to hate you," she shook her head with a furrow of her brow and her eyes on the floor, "I want to hate you. But I can't."

What Regina was to say to that, she did not know. So she simply found herself standing there watching Snow and trying to make sense of her. It was to no avail though. Regina merely found her heart heavy in her chest and her mind even further spun in to confusion. It was all just so incredibly messy. What she did know was that she was so very tired of hurting those she cared for.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," she apologized and Snow laughed in reply. A quiet and bitter sound that added to her misery, "it was supposed to hurt you but not like this."

"Yeah," she nodded once in agreement that their brief affair during the curse was where it had all started but she did not accept the apology. Instead she gave another short laugh and quickly swiped her hand over her cheeks to be rid of her tears before she turned and left.

"Snow," she called once more even though she really didn't have anything to say. The girl ignored her though and once the door to the station had been opened and left to swing shut on its own, Regina closed her eyes and pushed her fingers in to her hair. Then she found herself leaning back against the wall and taking a deep breath as she tried to figure out what to do next.

Once the shouting had stopped and the building remained quiet for a couple minutes, David carefully made his way out to the hall where both women had disappeared. But now only Regina remained. For reasons that were mostly selfish, he hated that she wore an expression so conflicted and distraught for only minutes ago he knew she had been ready to try to build something with him. Now that was lost. He of course hated that she was so distressed but he hated even more that once again he was no closer to being able to comfort her than he was when he woke up. She wouldn't let him.

His whole walk down the hall he was trying to decide on his best approach. He wanted nothing more than to support her and make her life easier and happier. But if he touched her she would lash out and then run off. If he spoke to her she would gnash her teeth and spit venom. If he did nothing she would accuse him of not giving a damn about her. His options were limited to say the least.

When he got to her he leaned back against the wall with her with a soft sigh as he sunk against it. Neither one of them looked at the other. His eyes stayed focused straight ahead of him by choice and hers remained closed and her hands stayed in her hair. They stood there in silence for a little while and he made sure that he was as close to her as possible without touching her. All it would take would be the smallest lean toward him and she would find the support he so desperately wished she would take.

She didn't move though. Not even a little bit. So with a deep breath and a long exhale, he slowly sunk to the floor with his knees raised and his hands loosely clasped on top of them. He didn't dare say anything and he didn't dare touch her. He was there though and he knew that she would value that. Perhaps even more than he believed. He was there and he was patient and eventually she did give in and she let herself sink down to the floor. She let herself lean in to him and his throat was tight and thick with relief that she wasn't pushing him away.

He wanted to pull her in, he wanted to hug her too tight and never let go, he wanted to bury his nose in to her hair and take a deep breath. But instead he let her tip her head against his shoulder and lean in to his side and once she was still, he offered her his hand over her lap. She hesitated but after a moment her careful hands took hold of it and he could have cried at how tender and how gentle her touch was as she traced the lines in his palm and bent and straightened every one of his fingers.

"What am I doing?" She frowned as she watched his fingers move under her touch.

"Following your heart I hope," he replied softly and she didn't say another word. Simply stayed there beside him and he soaked in every moment of it.


	20. Chapter 20

**I am sooooo sorry! Hopefully this super long and rather smutty chapter will make up for it? Just a little? Lol! Enjoy! Please leave a review!**

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 _"You can do it," he encouraged as she tried her very hardest to lift the apple from the table._

 _"This is ridiculous."_

 _"It's coming."_

 _"And infuriating."_

 _"Perhaps try moving to the candlestick?" He offered as a change of pace but was simply answered with a loud and enraged shout at the apple. It did send the innocent piece of fruit flying across the stables and hit the door of Rocinante's stall, startling the poor chestnut mare. "Well..." He started with a shrug and a slight rock of his head as he stared at the apple on the floor and then back up to his fuming brunette, "you did move it," he nodded and she gave an irate huff in response but when he smirked she quickly broke in to tired laughter and pushed her hands in to her hair._

 _"This is pointless," she protested and heard him stand from his seat. Without opening her eyes she knew he was walking toward her._

 _"You're making progress," he assured and she shook her head and dropped her hands to her thighs with a light smack as she opened her eyes._

 _"What good is it if I can only progress when I am angry? The one emotion you told me not to be in while dealing with magic?"_

 _"I am sure we can handle a little apple rage, my love," he teased as his fingers took her hips and gently pulled her to him, the skirt of her pear green gown swaying with the motion, "it's the visions of murder we want to steer clear of," he smirked and despite her frustration, a small smile did tug at the corner of her mouth, "no blood was drawn and it didn't hit me in the head that time either. I'd call that progress for sure. You're aim is getting better."_

 _"My aim is getting worse," she grumbled with a glance up at him and was unfortunately helpless against the grin pursing her lips at his reply._

 _"Oh hoho! Savage," he laughed and she folded her arms and dropped her weight on to one foot. That hidden smile on her mouth had him grinning from ear to ear._

 _"You are a terrible teacher."_

 _"You are an equally terrible student," he smirked and she laughed as her hips swayed in to his, "you will learn to have fun with your magic. But perhaps it is easiest to learn to recognize your magic by simply being angry. And then learn to call upon it from the calmer emotions once you know what it feels like."_

 _"Perhaps...but surely there is another way? You said you were able to feel it in me. That it was warm and strong. When were you able to feel it?" Her question was honest and serious and his boyish smirk was more than enough for an answer and with a roll of her eyes she was smirking with him, "oh."_

 _"Anger is a potent emotion. Especially in you. Gets your heart pounding," he grinned and her lips were pursed to hide the full extent of her smirk, "very much like it does when your writhing underneath me," he grinned wildly and laughed a delightful little laugh as her smile broke free of her control and her eyes fell down and to the side for a moment as her hands settled on his chest._

 _"Are you suggesting a modified lesson plan?"_

 _"I'm not not suggesting it," he teased and she laughed at him as she slung her arms around his neck, "but I would hate to have you begin to dread such lessons with me as you do your mother's," he smirked with an overly smooth voice as his hands began to explore her corseted figure that was painted in pale green silk._

 _"That would never happen," she replied as she pressed herself to him with a wide smile, "but seeing as how we have made such frugal progress so far, perhaps we should change tactics. Just in case it is more effective."_

 _"Well it certainly can't hurt," he grinned and she laughed. And continued to do so even after he had kissed her. He loved it when she laughed against his kiss. It was such a happy sound and it brought such light and life in to his heart. He could listen to it for hours without complaint. But right then he had a job to do and couldn't listen to her sweet laughter._

 _So he kissed her a little harder and a little deeper, pushing her mouth open with his as his heavy hands felt every curve of her body before they tangled in to her thick and wavy hair. Her laughter hummed in to a quiet moan as she let him do as he wished and he was more than eager to draw more out of her. Then her hands were pulling at the hem of his shirt, her fingers grazing the skin over his stomach as she urged him closer. But it wasn't enough._

 _Fucking her was always enjoyable, no matter the pace or the mood but he still had a job to do. He still had to teach her to recognize and isolate her magic which meant he had to make everything just perfect so her magic would come in through her loss of self control. And he had to do so with the threat of being caught looming over them. They were, after all, only in the stables and it was the middle of the day._

 _So he pushed her backwards, sharp and firm so that when her back met the old wood of a stall it was with a hard thud that pushed the air from her lungs. She moaned at the force and when his mouth went to her jaw and then her throat, she was panting and humming against his ear. Her fingers threaded through his hair as his hands felt their way back down her figure and began pulling at the fabric of her dress' skirt._

 _"Whatever would dearest Cora say if she were to fetch you for tea but found you with the stableboy between your legs rather than your horse," he questioned lowly against her ear and smiled when her breath shook and her body quivered and most importantly, when her magic jolted him. It was subtle but it was there. It was warm and powerful and had him grinding his hips to hers as he continued lifting the skirt of her dress, his movements a little rougher now that he had her going._

 _"I imagine it is getting close to teatime, is it not?" He inquired as his hands finally slipped beneath the skirt of her pale dress and his palms slid up her thighs. The second jolt of her magic had his mind growing foggy as he kissed her neck once more. Her magic was hot and potent. Like all of her passion and arousal was shooting right through her fingertips and in to him. He wasn't complaining by any means. He loved knowing what he did to her. It made him proud and eager for more. But it grew stronger with every sexual encounter and he didn't know how much more he could take without marking her flawless skin so all the world knew she was taken. So she needed to learn to control it before he was unable to control himself._

 _"Do you feel it?"_

 _"Feel what?" She breathed and gasped against his ear when he gave a sharp nip to the side of her neck. It had her fingers taking through his hair and her fingernails scraping his scalp and he guided her leg so her knee hooked over his hip and she balanced on the other leg. His cock was hard against her and his breaths were hot and damp over her skin and the weight of his body pinning her to the stall had her more than ready for him to fuck her senseless. And the possible threat of someone walking in on them thrilled her._

 _They were fucking one another every chance they got but they had always played it on the safe side. They usually went up to David's loft and waited until the evening or the middle of the night or they would ride out somewhere far from the manor where no one would find them. The only times they had ever had sex in the stable itself was when Cora was gone. But she was not gone. She was up the hill a mere flick of her wrist away and Regina was in the middle of her beloved stables with her beloved stableboy between her legs and her silk dress hiked up around her waist._

 _It was absolutely thrilling._

 _"Your magic," he breathed against her jaw and she hummed in confusion but he didn't let her answer any more than that before he kissed her. He kissed her hard and he kissed her rough. Pulling at her body and crushing her with his kiss. It earned him a lingering tingle of heat that flooded his body at her subconscious command, "right there," he noted against her lips in a quick breath for air before he kissed her again and listened to her moan._

 _"No," she panted against his lips as his one hand started working at his belt and his other kept her leg lifted around his hip so she could feel every one of his movements against her pelvis and clit. She could feel his hand between them, pulling at his belt and his pants to free his hard cock. She could feel everything. It shot fire through her body and had her moaning in anticipation as she pulled him closer with her leg around his hip._

 _"Are you sure?" He rasped against her ear as he rocked his hips closer for just a moment and earned himself another rush of her magic._

 _She thought she may have felt something in her grasp but was promptly distracted by the length of his hard cock pressing against her. But moments later when she revelled in his low moan of pleasure, she realized that she had brought it out of him. It overwhelmed her with arousal once more and that time she did notice the familiar sensation flow through her hands and in to him. One hand fisting his hair and the other clawing at his ribs as he teased her. But she did feel it. It was still hard to recognize it but it was there and he responded with an eager thrust of his hips in to her's as his fingers dug in to her thigh._

 _The magic startled her a but her gasp quickly became a whimper as his lightly stubbled jaw scraped against her neck along with his smooth warm tongue. And then two of his knuckles were rubbing against her clit to toy with her and test her arousal but she easily could have told him she was plenty wet for him. And between his touch and his moan of approval against her neck, she felt another bout of magic surge from her fingertips and over him and she panicked._

 _David felt her magic build and leak free but when he felt it stop abruptly he only grinned and nipped at her jaw as he pulled her panties aside with his fingers. "I am not teaching you how to stop your magic, my dear. I am teaching you how to use it," he told her as he lifted his head so his lips were over hers._

 _"I don't want to hurt you," she panted back as she hugged her leg tighter around his hip once more. He was so close._

 _"You would never hurt me," he replied with such ease and confidence it surprised himself. It reminded him of a world he lived in once, one that he hadn't truly thought about in quite some time, one with a woman that was very similar to the one pinned beneath him but would have no quarrel hurting him. She would do it without hesitating. She had done proven so. But the thought was rather brief and he was brought back to the present as he slid his cock inside her with a low groan and listened to her gasp and whimper._

 _"Try to control it," he told her as her fingers pulled at his hair, "don't try to stop it," he breathed as he started rocking his hips in to her._

 _"Oh my god," she cried out softly as her skin tingled in utter delight he tugged her one leg higher and simultaneously thrusted deeper._

 _"You had better figure that magic out, my dear. I won't stop until you do. And I'd hate for your mother to cut this lesson short," he panted against her ear and she tipped her head back in to the stall with a muffled whimper. He merely took advantage of the extra space and started nipping and sucking on her neck and collar bone. Her magic had been so much more potent since he had made her aware of her powers and today, right then, since they had already been practicing just minutes beforehand, it was even more concentrated._

 _It constricted his breaths, it brought goosebumps to his skin, it raised the hairs on the back of his neck, it made his cock throb inside her, it made his heart race. It made him want to fuck her senseless. But he paced himself for now, fucked her slow and hard, jarring her off balance with each slow thrust so she felt every bit of him. It sent her magic sparking all over him._

 _"Focus," he instructed but all he got was a moan in reply. She was absolutely stunning in silk. Fully clothed, her breasts fighting her corset with each heaved breath, her skirt bunched around her waist, one bare leg hugged around his hip while the other remained covered as she precariously balanced on it. In heels no less._

 _"You are beautiful," he huffed as his hips met hers once more. He was going to have to fuck her like this more often._

 _"You feel so good," she panted and felt her magic buzz at her fingertips once more. She didn't know what to do with them, her hands were everywhere but nowhere felt right. She was grabbing at his clothes or his hair or digging in to his arms. But she didn't settle until she took his face in his hands and pulled him in to kiss him. She moaned against his mouth long and slow, the sound bouncing with every thrust he gave but it didn't silence until she opened their mouths for a quick breath and kissed him again._

 _Her entire body was overwhelmed with the pleasure he gave her and as their tongues met, her fingertips dug in to his jaw and cheek and made him pound just a little harder in to her. In and out and in and out until her weight bearing leg was quivering with the rest of her body. "I want more," she breathed against his lips before she kissed him again, fully and deeply as her magic crackled and she grew more comfortable with the sensation. More familiar with it._

 _"Earn it," he told her and pinned her a little firmer to the stall and slid his fingers higher up her smooth thigh. Then he was kissed again and her fingers threaded through his hair so she enveloped him and he moaned against her mouth. He loved this damn woman._

 _His pace didn't change though. He could feel her trying to work with her magic but it was unruly and free magic that didn't wish to be tamed. She was struggling but it was getting better. And then suddenly it all went away and he was about to scold her for it but a moment or two later there was a slow glow that warmed him from the his head to his toes and had his thrusts falling out of rhythm and a moan in his throat._

 _"Very good," he complimented and rewarded her with a twist of his hips and a slightly faster pace._

 _"Shit," she hissed and pulled at his hair. It was just enough of a change to have her spinning out of control all over again. He knew her far too well. She was helpless against him and was no longer able to keep quiet as she cried and moaned against his mouth. It felt too good, he hit just the right places and the thought crossed her mind once more that Cora could catch them and that sent a new wave of adrenaline through her system. She arched herself in to him, rolled her hips in to his and tried to get more out of him. But he stayed the same and kissed her as good as she gave._

 _When her hand fell to his chest it was because he had knocked her out of balance and had dropped a hand to support herself. It was a happy accident for immediately she felt her magic pull to his heart and she moaned at the sensation. His heart. His good, strong, and loyal heart. His kind and tender heart. It was hers. He had given it to her, he loved her, he belonged to her despite everything stacked against them, he made sure she was safe, he made sure they were strong, he protected her, he protected them._

 _That alone was nearly enough to send her over the edge and cry his name. But instead her fingers dug in to his chest and when he tried to break the kiss to see what she was doing, her other hand tightened in his hair and brought him back to her mouth._

 _He would be lying if he didn't panic for a moment at the feel of her nails in his chest, but when she kissed him again he remembered she wasn't the woman known for such evils. So he kissed her harder and fucked her with a little more effort as though he was apologizing for something she didn't know of. He didn't know how much longer he could last if they kept up as they were. He didn't imagine they had too much time left before they were caught anyway._

 _"Make me come," she demanded on a sharp exhale as her body shook and convulsed._

 _"Earn it," was all he could say before he kissed her once more to try and distract himself from the urged to do just as she said. She felt amazing and was doing everything to turn him on. There were no flaws in her. And then his skin shivered and his belly warmed and his cock throbbed causing his hips to twitch and his fingernails to dig in to her thigh while the others carved in to the wood of the stall next to her waist, "fuck."_

 _He got laughter in response and once he had gathered his bearings, he let himself laugh with her and nipped at her bottom lip. "Very good," he breathed and she laughed lowly in her throat once more and waited for him to give her what she wanted. She had earned it after all. He didn't suspect magic to be an easy thing to control and for the first time in their weeks of trying to train, this was the first time she had been able to properly call for it without anger as her fuel._

 _So he dove for her neck and pushed her back against the stall once more before he started fucking her properly. He sucked on her skin and she groaned in pleasure and his rhythmic thrusts gave way to hard and sharp movements that had her swallowing shouts of encouragement and approval so as not to alert any approaching ears. He could still hear her though in the hisses through her teeth and the curses under her breath. Beautiful woman._

 _Regina was absolutely beside herself with the intensity of the sex he offered. She She knew her magic must have been playing a part in her sensitivity to every sensation but that didn't stop her from moaning his name in to the air around them as her buried himself inside her over and over again. It didn't stop her from scraping her nails over his scalp as her fingers threaded deeper in to his hair nor did it stop the hand at his chest from sliding higher to his neck and jaw. She was shaking and her insides were vibrating and all she could do was curl herself around him as he stopped restraining himself._

 _"Mmmmm, David, fuck," she moaned and gasped and her teeth scraped against his temple as she tried to catch her breath and pull him closer. She could feel herself getting pushed closer and closer in to utter bliss and she could barely breathe because of it and her gown wasn't helping her case. He just kept going, kept pounding against her, his cock sliding so easily inside her, his breaths so hot and uneven against her skin. And then she was there._

 _Her nails scratched at him, her thigh closed tighter while her standing knee buckled and her voice came as a loud gasp through her open mouth as her head fell back against the stall and his teeth found her jaw._

Regina jumped with a startled gasp when her magic shot from her fingertips. It didn't cause any damage, didn't even push anything out of place aside from the dreamcatcher that had been in her fingertips but she was quick to catch it again anyway. It was nothing crazy but was there and it was strong. It had snapped with power and heat and she truly had nearly jumped out of her seat at the sudden sensation. She hadn't called upon her magic. Not on purpose anyway.

It seemed she had been just a little too enthralled in that particular memory.

With a couple deep breaths and a quiet clear of her throat, she put down the dreamcatcher and flexed her fingers while she tried to steady her heart. And ignore the heat burning low in her belly. Then she scowled at the dreamcatcher for showing her such things but surprisingly enough, the inanimate object didn't waver at such a deadly expression. It had her sighing tightly through her nose, long and slow as she closed her eyes in a long blink and tried to think of anything but the heat of David's breath panting against her neck. Or his hands on her body. Anything but that.

In an attempt to shut it out, she closed her eyes and pushed her hands in to her hair but that was a mistake. With her eyes closed it made her aware of the rest of her body. The shortness of her breath, the heat in her belly, the needy ache between her legs, the shiver in her skin. But with her eyes closed she could only think of how good it would feel if David's hands were on her. Sliding down her sides over her silk top, his mouth on her neck, his breath on her skin, his chest pressed to her back.

With a shake of her head and another deep breath she quickly blinked her eyes open and stared adamantly at the bookshelf in front of her. It was to no avail, however. David still filled her mind in ways that aroused her in ways she didn't need to be feeling. In a desperate attempt to distract her mind by immersing it in something else, she snatched the dropped dreamcatcher from the table and began sifting through his memories once more. Just as she had since the beginning, she only lingered on the memories that called to her. There were too many memories to count and too many to sort through in his mind to take only the ones she needed. So they had filled the dreamcatcher and left it up to her to decide what to see and what to pass.

Some pulled stronger than others and those were the ones she paused at. Those and any involving Cora. Just in case.

Her magic halted the dreamcatcher when Cora came in to view and for reasons unknown to her, Regina hesitated. She hesitated to let herself be immersed in whatever laid in her hands in front of her but for the sake of distraction, she let it go.

 _"David."_

 _He turned quickly to the call of his name for it was surprising to hear such a thing leave the cold woman's lips. He couldn't recall a single time she had called him by his name. He wasn't certain she truly even knew it until then, "yes Ms Mills?"_

 _"Schedules have had to be rearranged and my daughter now has a couple of hours of free time. Free time I am sure she would enjoy spending on her horse."_

 _"Yes I am sure she would," he agreed plainly with a nod of his head, confused as to where this conversation was heading._

 _"Ready her horse for her then. I will fetch her."_

 _"Of course," he agreed and unfortunately showed a little too much of his confusion on his face._

 _"You are frowning," she noted and lingered before she left and the man shook his head once._

 _"The request has merely caught me by surprise. Not once in my hire have you ever asked for your daughter to ride."_

 _"I simply need her out of the house this afternoon," Cora replied simply and wondered why on earth she was explaining herself to him of all people, "the easiest way to do that is give her permission to race around on that horse of hers. Would you not agree?"_

 _"I would," he nodded but couldn't shake the feeling that something was incredibly off, "I will saddle Rocinante right away."_

 _"Good."_

 _They stood there in silence for a moment longer as Cora stared him down to assure there was nothing more that needed to be addressed. There was, of course, but he needn't provoke her or delve in to his suspicions of her. So he stood still and plain and waited for him to dismiss him with a single nod of her head before she turned and left._

 _He didn't understand what she was doing but he trusted his instincts and they were telling him something was wrong. Something was wrong and he needed to be alert. Nevertheless, he stepped in to Rocinante's stall and with a smile of greeting, he began to get her ready for Regina._

Regina frowned at the dreamcatcher in confusion as the sense of danger and dread settled in her mind as well. True, the memory had momentarily distracted her from the thoughts of how long it had been since she had been touched by a man but that had not been the sort of distraction she was looking for. What plot had Cora moved in to action? How deep in to David's memories had she gone? Was it already time for Snow? It couldn't be. But the anxiety settling in her chest told her otherwise and she put down the dreamcatcher once more as she stood up and paced at the end of her table.

She didn't want to see. But she wanted to know what happened. But did she really? Was she nearing the end of David's memories? Surely he didn't survive Cora. Even if he had been the one to save Snow and tried to flip the whole situation and ask for that young woman to be his, Cora would never have allowed it. So she paced and she paced with her eyes on the dreamcatcher and her arms folded over her chest.

Suddenly being desperately horny wasn't such a bad thing after all. She shouldn't have dug for a distraction. Her need for an answer won out in the end though and she gracefully slipped back in to her chair and lifted the dreamcatcher before her eyes. Then with one last deep breath she let the next memory surround her.

 _David watched with a smile on his face as his darling Regina cantered up the hill toward him. Very rarely did he ever see her smile wider than she did when she was on the back of her mare. The only time he saw her smile wider than when she was on her horse was when she was riding her horse toward him. It filled his chest with warmth and excitement and it was even better than ever before for he hadn't seen her in nearly a week._

 _Her mother had kept her inside during the days and had kept him busy or away for the evenings. He hadn't seen her beautiful face in far too long and seeing it again with such a bright smile had him absolutely grinning in return._

 _"Good afternoon, my dear," he greeted as she halted and slid off her mare's back._

 _"Good afternoon, stableboy," she grinned as she skipped up to him and let him wrap his arms around her, "I've missed you," she purred before she rose on to her toes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips."_

 _"I have missed you more," he assured and she laughed over his lips as her nose bumped against his. "Have you been practicing?" He questioned as he wound his arms tighter around her figure._

 _"I have," she nodded proudly and felt her heart skip at the excitement on his face._

 _"And what progress have you made?"_

 _"Quite a significant amount," she grinned with a rock of her head as he swayed her back and forth in his arms._

 _"Is that so?"_

 _"Mhm."_

 _"And what tricks have you taught yourself?" He grinned and she laughed as she sunk in to him and tipped her head back just a little._

 _"I can make things warm when I touch them," she smiled and his face grew all the more excited._

 _"Oh?"_

 _"Mhm. And I can braid my hair without touching it."_

 _"Practical," he nodded and she laughed._

 _"And if I concentrate I can now lift small objects in to the air without first getting angry," she told him and his brow lifted in surprise. Something that made her grin even wider as her eyes fell to his lips and her teeth caught her bottom lip._

 _"Well that is certainly a significant amount of progress in such a short time," he congratulated and she laughed with a pleased rock of her head, "will you show me?"_

 _"Of course," she agreed but then her grin turned mischievous and he quirked his head with a smirk of his own. Her eyes never left his lips and as she grinned wider she carefully began pushing him backward and he was curious but happy to oblige, "but perhaps a quick lesson to...refresh my memory?" She teased with a quick raise of one brow before she bit her bottom lip once more and he let out a rich laugh._

 _"Are you certain one is needed?"_

 _"I am not. But I would hate for something to take a turn for the worse and mar that pretty face of yours," she purred and he hummed._

 _"That is a fair point," he agreed as he continued backward._

 _"I thought so," she grinned and then took fistfuls of his collar and gave him a hard shove._

 _There was a slight grunt when his back hit the trunk of the tree but the slight pain was forgotten in moments as he kissed his feisty and eager little brunette. Her hands were yanking him closer by the collar of his shirt and his were boldly and shamelessly wandering her figure while she practically devoured him. Granted it had been awhile since they had had any form of sex for they hadn't even seen one another in a week but that didn't quite account for the desperate hunger she seemed to hold then as she nipped at his lips and moaned in to his mouth._

 _"Do you not find it strange-," he started but was cut off with another fervent kiss,"-that your mother so suddenly allowed you such a-," another kiss as her hands slowly slid up his chest and over his throat, "-large amount of free time?"_

 _"Yes," she huffed and he moaned against her mouth when her tongue toyed with his, "but her reasons are her own," she breathed and then kissed him hard and long as she pulled his head down to her with her hands in her hair. He could make her heart beat straight out of her chest if he tried and his fingers digging in to the baby blue fabric of her riding coat were driving her mad. "If she were watching us she would have killed us long ago," she teased but her words were true and David paused for just a moment, giving them time to catch their breaths._

 _"Fair point," he agreed and she grinned a big and bright and beautiful smile as she laughed through her teeth and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Such a stunning little minx. And those big brown eyes, "well in that case I suppose we shouldn't waste a second more," he grinned and then lifted and spun her so her back was pressed to the tree and her legs were wrapped around his hips. At this point she could almost have him fucking her on the dining room table right in front of Cora. She had gotten to know him too well in the year and a half they had been together and could talk herself in or out of any situation she damn well pleased._

 _She was trouble. She was also completely irresistible. "I love you," he huffed against her lips and kissed the grin that pulled at her lips. Hard and desperate as he pinned her to the tree and tugged at the white scarf tastefully tied around her neck and tucked in to her coat's collar. He didn't give her the chance to say another word until she was completely breathless and his teeth bit down on her jaw and his fingers finally rid her of her scarf._

 _"Show me how much," she breathed and then hummed as she rocked her hips against his and he dragged his lips down her neck. It drove her crazy when he did that. It made her breath catch and had her fingernails scratching over his scalp as she moaned. She was a hot mess and the heat was throbbing between her legs. Even more so when he curled his fingers in to the waist of her riding breeches._

 _His panting breaths, his slight stubble, his warm hands, his wet tongue, she could hardly stand herself as she huffed against his ear and nipped at whatever she could. She had missed him. Her moans were loud and heavy and his were no different as he started pulling at the belt around her hips. And then she heard the thundering of hooves against the earth and she gave the quietest of gasps as she placed a halting hand against his chest and he stopped immediately._

 _"What?"_

 _"Someone's coming," she huffed and then looked him in the eye for a moment before she scrambled free of his hold and he let her without hesitation. Then there were the frantic pleas of a child and Regina stepped away from him just as a young girl flew by on a runaway horse._

 _"Regina, no!" David shouted as she sprinted toward Rocinante without a thought but the damn woman ignored him, "Regina!" He shouted again as he ran after her but she was on her mare's back without a second to lose. "God_ damn _it, Regina!" He roared as he tried to reach for her reins but Rocinante was pushed in to a gallop before he could and his heart was sent in to a wild panic as she sped off. "Shit!" He yelled to himself as he stomped an enraged foot and spun a small and quick circle with his hands in his hair, "no!" But the deed had been done and David watched helplessly from the hilltop as Regina pulled a very young Snow White on to Rocinante's shoulders._

 _"No."_

There were tears in Regina's eyes as the dreamcatcher slipped from her slackened fingers and quietly clattered to the wooden table once more. Now what? What happened after that? Did David survive? Did she suffer?

So many panicked questions flew through her mind. But she wouldn't dare look for herself. Instead she tried to steady her breath and jumped in her seat at the knock on her front door. She didn't answer it though. She was in far too fragile a state to have any company not important enough to walk in to her home on their own. So she made no effort to leave her library or make herself presentable. She flat out ignored them.

Until the front door opened.

There were only a select few people who would dare such a thing but despite them all being close to her, Regina still sniffed back her tears and did her best to put on a mask of indifference. One that made her appear to be in her right mind when she was so far from it. A mask that Tinkerbell would see right through and call her out on. A mask Belle would notice but not acknowledge any deeper than recognition. A mask Henry would frown at and hug her for until she found herself clinging to him and crying in to him.

A mask that did not last even a moment when she walked in to the foyer and was faced with who had actually come through her door.

David.

He had entered her home with a pleasant and easy smile but it had morphed in to a concerned frown when he laid eyes on his darling Regina. She was tense but she was also tired. Her face had been masked when she had come around the corner but in an instant it had crumbled and he saw everything. He saw the frustration, the worry, the vulnerability, the confusion as to what she was feeling, and even the arousal and lust that seemed to burn in her eyes. She was in quite a state and it made him frown a little heavier as he continued toward her and carefully set his bag of groceries on the floor beside the stairs, "what is wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," she denied with a shake of her head and his brow furrowed in mild displeasure that she wasn't telling him. It irritated her more than she knew it should have. But despite everything else she was feeling, the fact that he was standing there in her home made her want to jump at him and tear his damn clothes off with her teeth. It seemed her state after that first memory had not faded away as much as she had thought. It infuriated her.

"What were you doing in there?" He questioned kindly but her reply was defensive and sharp.

"That is none of your concern," she bit and then swallowed when he stepped up closer to her. She didn't need him close. Being close meant he was easier to reach. Being close meant she could smell him and need to immerse herself in it.

"You are distressed by something. I only want to help," he assured and her eyes fell while her body grew more tense.

She didn't answer him but that was only because she was distracted by the fact his sleeves were rolled up and she could see the strong forearms reaching for her, paired with his kind hands. It put her on edge. It had images and sensations of him fucking her in to her magic flashing behind her eyes and once again sparking her own magic in her fingertips. It had her tense and hot and aggravated. She wanted nothing more than to let him fuck her senseless but when his hands found her upper arms and her body screamed with heat and arousal, she lashed out instead.

"Don't _touch_ me!" She barked as she lifted her hands and harshly swatted his away and he lifted them in surrender. She didn't know why she was so on edge, she didn't know why her temper was so hot and short, she didn't know why she was being so harsh to him, but she couldn't seem to clear her mind to find an answer.

"Okay," he complied easily and heard her huff furiously and watched her confusion send her deeper in her upset. It was as though she couldn't quite understand why she was so touchy either. And he hadn't a clue as to what had gotten in to her. She had been so content that morning when he had last talked to her. She had even been the one to suggest he join her for dinner as she was alone for the evening. He had leapt at the offer but now something was wrong and he just wanted to soothe her. Nothing else.

"What can I do to put you at ease?" He asked gently as he lowered his surrendered hands and her dark eyes sharply followed the movement.

She could have cried at the sincerity and selflessness in his kind voice. But instead that ache in her throat had her anger flaring once more for it fed the insecurity eating away at her. The insecurity that she couldn't identify but seemed to insist on protecting from his eyes by pushing him away. "You think because I invited you in to my home you are entitled to every thought that crawls in to my mind?"

"That is not even close to what I said," he denied with a confused shake of his head.

"Prince Charming riding in all high and mighty on his white horse to save the day! Didn't even stop to think that perhaps he is the problem!"

"Okay first off, my horse was grey," he corrected mildly to try and cheer her up but it only seemed to piss her off more, "and second, I am not convinced that I am the problem. But thank you for telling me there is a problem."

"Of course there is a problem!" She shouted with one step toward him and then swung an arm at him in an accusing gesture, "and of course you don't think it's you! Why the hell would you think it was you!"

"Probably the same reasons you don't believe it's you."

"I am not the problem!"

"You sure about that?" He countered simply and watched her fall completely off the rails. Her voice louder and faster, her eyes open and wild, her gestures bigger and more animated. She looked like she was ready to kill someone. He merely watched in fascination and tried to figure out what it was that had so violently set her off.

"I am not the one _gallivanting_ around pulling at people's hearts! I am not the one destroying my family in some mad attempt to be with someone else! I am not the one playing with people's minds! I am not the one exploiting the heartache of others! I am not the one throwing illusions of grandeur in people's faces!"

"What illusions, Regina?!"

"That the Evil Queen could ever be seen as worthy in the eyes of Prince Charming!"

"Why are you so obsessed with these titles?! Can it not just be Regina and David?!"

"No it _cannot_ be just Regina and David!" She shouted furiously and he crossed his jaw to hold back his building temper, "I have long since accepted that the Evil Queen is part of me and I will _not_ have you changing that!"

"I'm not trying to change that! I don't want to change that! But just as you said, that is only a part of you!"

"Stop twisting my words!"

"What on earth are you hearing that makes you think I am twisting your words?!"

"You can't just pick parts of me that you want to love and parts you don't!"

"I never-!"

"That girl in your head is gone, David! She doesn't exist! She is dead!"

"You think I don't know that?! You think that waking up has been easy for me?! That I am not mourning the loss of her?! Of course I know you are different! Of course I miss her!"

"Well then why the hell are you trying so hard to be with me?!" She shouted and hated that it burned as much as it did hearing that he missed that bright young girl she had once been, "because I _look_ like her?! Because I _remind_ you of her?!"

"No! I would not tear apart the life I have here for something so trivial as a similar face!"

"What is driving you then?!"

"I loved you first!" He shouted and she gave a bitter laugh in reply as she leaned back just a fraction with her hands lifted and tense as though she was going to strangle him. "I loved you before I fell in to that world, I loved you before we went to Neverland, I loved you before your curse even broke! If anything, I fell in love with that woman in my head because she reminded me of you! And loving her made me realize how much I loved you!"

"If you loved me so damn much why didn't you tell me _then_?!"

"Oh yes because cursed and timid David was going to confront the proud mayor and proclaim his love for her after one night when he already had two other women to deal with! And when exactly would I have been willing to admit to anyone that I had fallen in love with you and still loved you after the curse was broken! I was ready to kill you! I wasn't about to admit to myself that I loved you! I couldn't even comprehend such a thing! But I always knew I did, I just wouldn't dare admit it!"

"Well isn't that just what a girl wants to hear! That a man was too ashamed to tell her he loved her!"

"You are impossible! That is not what I said and you know it! I am not ashamed of loving you! I would shout my love for you from the rooftops if you let me!"

"Hearing it in private is bad enough!"

"Regina, what the hell is going on?! You were accepting this, you were wanting to try! You asked me to come here! What has you so upset?!"

"Perhaps I have some to realize I am no more than an object to fill the void a poisonous plant has tricked you in to believing is there."

"That is not what is happening, I was in your head-!"

"No, you were in _your_ head!" She roared as she lunged at him, her aggression getting the better of her as she tore him apart, "you created some idealistic version of me so that you could have everything you could ever want and not feel guilty for it! No Snow, no Emma, no Henry, no family, no Evil Queen! I wasn't there! My magic may have played a part but it was _your_ mind and _your_ thoughts and _your_ wishes that filled in all the empty spaces and laced everything together _just so_!"

"Okay _yes_! Perhaps that is true but while this is many things, Regina, one sided is not one of them!"

"And how am I supposed to believe a word you say when you will give your heart to any woman who opens theirs to you?! How do I know I am not going to be your next Snow White?! Your next stable girl?! How am I to put any faith in the words of a man who has proclaimed true love to three different women in a matter of two weeks?! The years in your head mean _nothing_ here!"

She knew she had pushed too far, she knew her tone had been too harsh, she knew her posture had been too aggressive, she knew her choice in words had not once been thought through, she knew she was out of control. But it had happened, it had all been said, and while David stood there in silence with a scowl on his mouth she found herself envying the self control he possessed for surely the words on his tongue were far from kind. She had hurt him after all.

But her words had all been true. For the most part. They were real concerns, they were real fears, real insecurities. But the manner in which she had said them was far from honest. He had come in at the wrong time, he had caught her hot and bothered and distraught. Surely he could understand that. Right?

The back of her throat ached with the guilt of hurting him so but she could not seem to get her face to portray the same as she glared at him and he clenched his jaw. She wanted to take it all back but she stood her ground despite herself and he gave a single nod.

"Alright. I am going to walk away before I am pulled any deeper in to this minefield," he told her bitterly and she practically vibrated in her ferocity as she glared at him, "goodnight, Regina," he dismissed himself with a tight jaw and tried his best not to storm off and then tried even harder not to slam the door behind him on his way out. That woman could rile him up faster and higher than any other person he had ever met. She was absolutely infuriating. And yet he loved her even still.

Regina glared at the closed door for several seconds in silence before she growled at herself for the tug on her heart. The tug that pulled stronger and the ache that burrowed deeper with every step she let him take away from her. That _man_. That infuriating, attractive, bullheaded _man_. She hated what he did to her. Her chest was heavy and just ached with the hatred of being alone without him. She didn't want to want him.

She tried to walk away from the door but hardly made it a quarter turn before she was skipping down the stairs to the front door and swinging it open only so she could slam it behind her in her boiling rage. The taps of her stilettos against her path were quick despite her large strides and she was mumbling her harsh thoughts and insults under her breath as she strode toward her hedges. That _man_. That stubborn and patient _oaf_. Why did she have to love him.

"David!" She yelled sharply but got no reply. So she put a slight skip in her step for a stride or two to catch him before he got in his truck. She had gotten lucky. He was still walking to his distasteful beast of a vehicle when she laid eyes on him.

"David!" She snapped with a gnash of her teeth as she came through to the driveway on the other side of her hedges. He merely offered an equally irate and hurt glance over his shoulder before he looked back at his truck and tugged the driver's door open. "David!" She bit again even sharper than the first time and he ignored her completely. So she put another skip in her furious steps so she could intercept his path.

He was stepping forward to get in to his truck when her slender arm and feminine hand cut across in front of him and slammed his truck door shut with far more force than would ever be necessary. Then a moment later he was looking in to furious dark eyes and snarling, "Regina-!"

She promptly cut him off with a kiss. With her hands yanking him down to her by the collar of his shirt, she kissed him hard and she kissed him deep. She pulled on him and she made him kiss her back and when his fingers were digging in to her hips she paused their kiss and absolutely revelled in his hot breaths panting over her jaw and down her neck as she growled quietly, "why must you let me speak so harshly to you?"

"I don't know what to do with you, your majesty," he growled back and slowly ran his heavy hands up her sides with a deep breath to try and ground himself. He couldn't decide if his temper was going to snap and he was going to lose it on her or if he just wanted to crumble in defeat and hold her until she believed every word he told her. She drove him mad. His Evil Queen. "What I do know is that you are incredibly frustrating," he breathed the word and she pulled at him a little harder and arched her body in to him, "and I love you."

"Don't _tell_ me that," she hissed with a snarl and a scolding tug on his collar that brought his nose to her cheek for a moment. His jaw was clenching. She couldn't see it and she couldn't feel it but she knew it was without a doubt.

"Why not."

"Because I can't _handle_ that right now," she growled lowly with her top lip still pulled back in a snarl.

"What _can_ you handle right now?" He pressed and she didn't answer him. Not a word left her mouth but she was trying. She was trying to formulate an answer but he wasn't sure she even knew what she needed. Or she did and she was trying to decide whether or not to tell him.

He didn't understand why it was so hard for her to just speak. It was infuriating and after their argument he was already on edge and was about to pull away from her when she finally spoke.

"I need you to stop being so gentle with me. Just... _take_ what you want. And fuck me like you _mean_ it," she told him with a sharp edge to her tone that stemmed from her frustration of being so confused over what he wanted from her. Confused and so completely turned on any time he was within her line sight. Or even crossed her mind for that matter.

There was a pause after that, and she almost mistook it for hesitation and screamed at him for it but gave him the benefit of the doubt and concluded it was him merely thinking it through when he kissed her with a ferocity he had never shown her. She was moaning in an instant and then he slammed her back against his truck with enough force for the truck to protest with a rather loud and metallic thud. It hurt just enough to have her biting down on his lip with a low moan as she threw her hands in to his hair and ground her hips in to his. And then her thigh found its place right between his legs and made slow firm work of getting him hard for her. She was already wet for him.

They were panting against one another, desperate for breath but starving for their kiss. He pinned her entire body to his truck and the feel of her beneath him had his control slipping away. He had missed this. He had missed the way her body moved against his, the way her breasts pressed harder to his chest with every heaved breath, the warmth of her body seeping in to his, the heat of her breath against his lips, the sharp tug of her fingers in his hair. It was even more potent than his dreamshade life. It was real.

And he was so frustrated. Frustrated and impatient. But so was she. He felt like he was walking around aimlessly and kept smacking in to glass walls, bouncing around like an idiot and getting nowhere. Like a bee trying to fly out a closed window. So maybe this would shatter all of her walls, maybe this would make her see, maybe this would cover ground between them. He was fresh out of alternatives but he wasn't leaving her property until he made her see the truth in his promises of love and commitment.

So he kept her pinned to his truck and dipped his head down to her neck as his hands pulled at her shirt and slipped beneath the soft fabric to find even softer skin over her ribs and behind her back. There was a sharp and heated little cry that left her throat as his teeth bit down and his nails dug in to her sides and scratched down a little ways and while it was quiet and her driveway was hidden, it wasn't that hidden. But with her voice and her huffed and shaky breaths against his ear it was nearly impossible to remember that little fact.

"Are you going to fuck me against this truck," she huffed and felt pleasure jolt through her entire body at the thought.

"Don't tempt me," he breathed against her neck as his heavy hands slid higher up her sides, her shirt bunching up around his wrists as he did. She moaned loud and low in her throat at his reply and as she tipped her head in to the window of his truck, he sucked on her neck. Right on the side just below the corner of her jaw and plenty hard enough to leave a mark. She hissed in response and jerked her head away from him so they were looking one another in the eye.

She was rightfully pissed that he had just marred the appearance of her flawless skin but he only smirked in triumph. Her eyes were burning with rage and her mouth was set in disbelief while sharp words waited on her tongue but...when he grinned with pride and arrogance and leaned more of his weight in to her, her anger slowly morphed in to the twisted thirst for revenge and the need to put him back in his place. He could see it in the snarl of her lips and the slight gap between her top and bottom teeth that allowed her still heavy pants to pass.

"What?" He prodded quietly but with a sharp tongue and a split second later she threw herself at him and he was thrilled to have her let loose on him. Gone was the timid and confused woman and brought to the surface was the fierce and bloodthirsty queen he had grown to love. He hadn't seen her like this since Neverland and not once had he ever gotten to kiss her in such a state. He had dreamed of it though when his mind wandered during the quiet days.

She was furious and had every desire to snap his fragile neck and revel in the thrill of the kill of one who had pissed her off. But she was just lucid enough to restrict herself to making him fuck her senseless first. She would decide what to do with him after that. She wished she could silence the quiet voice reminding her that she loved him.

"Take me inside," she snarled and as her fingers spread over his jaw to pull him in to another fervent kiss, David didn't waste a moment in lifting her and carrying her to the house with her legs clamped around his hips.


	21. Chapter 21

**Alrighty a chapter full of fun things! ;p lol enjoy! Please leave a review! I'm off to go write more!**

* * *

The door to her bedroom was slammed shut when David turned them and pinned her to the door. A vase fell from the side table by her bed with the force he used and while the sound of shattering pottery rang through the room and to their ears, David was pulling her shirt open. It was a careless and furious action, taking the silk in each hand and ripping it straight down the middle so all her buttons flew in every direction.

The careless gesture pissed her off almost as much as it turned her on. With a growl she pulled him closer, her fingernails digging in to his jaw so he couldn't get away as she kissed him harder and deeper. His hands were all over her body once more and with her shirt now ruined and out of the way, his warm hands were now roaming her bare skin. Up her sides and around her back, over her stomach and between her breasts, tugging at her black bra on their way back down her figure. She was beside herself she wanted him so bad. She was shaking and desperate and she could barely find it in her to breathe.

And then he was pulling at her clothes again, tugging and yanking as his body moved against hers, moved with an aggressive and desperate need to take her. His hips ground against hers, pushing her slightly higher up her door as he bit her lip to keep her mouth close to his. His breath was hot and came in sharp pants that had her moaning and pulling at his hair while she ground herself against the his hard cock bulging his jeans.

"Fuck me," she breathed on a sharp exhale between desperate kisses.

"I intend to," he growled on a heavy breath and she scrapped her teeth along his jaw as she pulled his button up shirt from his shoulders. "You are beautiful," he breathed as he quickly pulled his shirt from his arms and then moved his full attention to her chest and breasts.

"Shut up," she scolded but was helpless against the gasp that came when he pulled down one cup of her bra and sucked and nipped at the soft flesh.

"I will not," he denied and started to try and pull the silk from her shoulders while she ground against his throbbing cock. She was driving him absolutely mad. Her silky hair, her soft skin, lean muscle, the scent of her subtle perfume, the taste of her skin. But above all else it was the fact that she was just as eager to fuck him as he was her. And they were both so incredibly frustrated with one another.

"Shut up and fuck me, you god damn idiot," she snapped and made quick work of pulling his simple cotton shirt over his head. The sight of his muscled arms and torso was nearly enough to make her come right then and there she was so high on him. Her skin crawled with the need for more of him, all of him, she wanted him all over her, in her, on her, with her. She couldn't form a single lucid thought at the sight of him and the very moment his shirt was over his head and tossed aside, his mouth was on hers and she was whimpering against him.

Then she was being pulled from the door and her legs tightened around his hips so she wouldn't fall. Not that his firm grip and strong arms would ever allow her to slip away from him. She broke their kiss off for a moment as he walked, just enough time for her to look at him. Her lips parted for her panting breaths, her hands slowly sliding up either side of his face and in to his hair, her eyes flitting over every piece of his expression, her arousal growing heavier and heavier with every passing second. His gaze was on her lips the whole time he was parted from her and the lust and need on his face was enough to make her hiss as her fingers curled in his hair to take a grip of it once again.

But before she could kiss him, she was falling and he was coming with her. Her back hit the bed first and before her body even stopped bouncing, her mouth was caught in a kiss. Hard and hungry and before she could truly respond to him, his mouth was moving down her neck and her chest and lower and lower as he roughly pulled at her trousers and panties. She helped him where she could in lifting her ass off the bed and then tucking her legs a little closer but it was still cumbersome as hell. She didn't mind too much though. She found she loved it when he was frustrated and resorted to brute strength. So very unlike Prince Charming.

She needed him now.

Once her trousers and panties were tossed aside, his mouth started moving over her skin once more. Kissing and biting over her stomach and pelvis while his fingers clawed down her thighs. But she didn't want him there. So she nudged him off with a knee to his ribs and when he looked up at her for her reasoning, she had already moved herself to the edge of the bed and he was watching her tug open the button on his jeans.

"I said fuck me, Charming," she growled and ripped the zipper open before hooking her fingers in to the waist of them and his boxer briefs and pulling down. "Don't waste my time," she bit and was then pushed back down on to the bed hard enough for her to bounce upon her landing. She propped herself up on her elbows to watch though as he rid himself of his remaining clothing and she got to see all of him. It had been far too long since she had seen him like that.

The sight had her dropping herself back down flat on her back with a heady moan and he was quick to crawl back on top of her and muffle the sound with his kiss. She loved that he wasn't being gentle with her. Absolutely loved it. And then she felt his length slide over her and she whimpered in anticipation and rocked her hips in to his. And then with his hand he guided himself in and she gave a sharp cry of pleasure. A sharp cry that slowly drew out in to a long and loud moan with every thrust he gave her.

"Ooohh fuck!" She cried out as her body was flooded with warmth and pleasure and her fingers dug in to his bicep and the back of his neck.

She was an image of pure ecstasy as he fucked her. Her dark hair splayed out over her white duvet, her eyes caught in long blinks as moans left her parted lips and hisses left her closed teeth. Her green silk shirt pooling around behind her, not completely removed from her body but leaving her shoulders, chest, and stomach bare for his eyes and hands to wander. Her bra was black and despite every hard thrust that jarred against her body, her breasts remained held by it. But one strap had slid down her shoulder.

"You are exquisite," he breathed through a moan of his own and found the red mark his mouth had made on her skin when she was pinned to his truck and bit and sucked on it once more. He wanted it to be there in the morning.

"Shut up," she hissed as his weight on top of her grew heavier and her stomach fluttered with even more intensity. She was a mess for him. Because of him.

He merely moaned against her neck and shivers shot down her spine at the slight pain he was causing with whatever he was doing there. She was too focused on the way he was sliding in and out of her with such force to really notice what his mouth was doing. It was making her feel good and that was all that mattered. Then she lifted her knee up against his side and the change was just enough to send her in to a whole new level of pleasure and she pushed her head back in to her bed with a loud moan and a string of curses.

When her hand fell from his neck to his chest his teeth had moved up to her jaw and as he did as he pleased and her breaths were sharp and heavy, she was reminded of the memory that had put her in such a state in the first place. She was reminded of how he had flinched from that stable girl when her fingers had curled in to his chest over his heart.

Now whether it was out of curiosity or her tendency to push too far and ruin everything she had obtained, she couldn't say for sure. But her fingernails dug sharply in to his chest as though she were going to pluck his heart out. He didn't skip a beat. He didn't even seem to notice as his hands continued over her body and his mouth drew a moan from her lips when he nipped and kissed her below the corner of her jaw.

Perhaps he didn't notice. But then he spoke.

"It is yours, Regina," he breathed against her ear and dragged his lips over her cheek in search of her mouth. He didn't stop fucking her, didn't even pause. He did give a little twist to his hips though and smirked when she gasped and cried in further pleasure and dug her nails in deeper before scratching them down his chest a small ways, "you may do with it as you please," he told her against her lips and then followed through with a full and wet kiss. It had taken her much longer than he had anticipated for her to test his fear and trust of her and her dark magic. A fear that was nonexistent and a trust that he would put his life in to without batting an eye.

Darling woman.

Regina didn't quite know how to respond to that. She was thrown and confused and clueless as to what to do next. But he didn't give her much of a chance to think about anything when his tongue began stealing her words straight from her mouth. Or with his cock hitting every right spot inside of her. Needless to say it soon slipped her mind to be addressed later and shortly after that, David was stretching her arms above her head and fucking her a little harder. She didn't dare let go of his hands.

With one more groan against her mouth, David let her breathe and let her squirm. Her hips tried to get away as her orgasm approached but her knee pressed in harder to his side to keep herself there and he simply watched her start to lose control of herself. It was so satisfying and ego feeding to watch the untouchable queen come undone beneath him. So he stretched her arms up higher and she pushed her head back with a moan and her chest and breasts were raised with the movement. Still caught in that black bra but fighting the confines of it as they nearly swelled over it. She was just too beautiful.

He dipped his head down as she moaned and panted and his teeth nipped at her sternum between her breasts before he followed through with a wet kiss. He loved making her moan. "Come here," he growled and she hissed sharply in her fury that he dared stop fucking her. But he made a point to move her quickly as he yanked her up and turned her on her knees so her back was pressed to his chest and he was taking a deep breath next to her jaw while his hands slid up her sides, "I want to feel you," he breathed against her and her next moan was tainted with a whimper as she tilted her head back against his shoulder.

And feel her he did. His hands were heavy and strong over her figure and her stomach was flipping around in response but she still wanted more. She wanted him back. So she reached down in front of her and found his hard cock and he groaned against her skin and bit down on her shoulder as she pumped her hand up and down. He then started pulling at her shirt to try and get it off of her and his mouth became more starved of her when she guided him inside her with a long moan shared between them.

"Fuck I've missed you," he growled as he fisted a hand in to her hair and assaulted the side of her neck while his other hand yanked at her ruined shirt and he started fucking her once more.

"Fuck me harder," she demanded and then whimpered when he followed through. She couldn't move her head with his hand in her hair and she absolutely loved how he was no longer treating her as something fragile and emotionally unstable. Even if she was just that. It didn't matter though as he began fucking her senseless and threw her shirt away so he could get rid of the last thing keeping all of him from her. It took mere seconds to toss her bra aside and with it gone he suddenly went completely carnal.

The hand in her hair pulled harder and she gave a small cry of surprise and arousal while his other hand palmed her breast and his hot pants blew down her neck. His thrusts were harder but they weren't yet quicker and as he groaned and cursed against her neck, she screamed and moaned his name and her encouragements while her nails dug in to his thigh and his neck. Then his hand let go of her hair and made its way down her side and to her hip, keeping her pressed back against him so she felt the full force of his cock inside her.

She was quivering against him, her body and breaths shaking as he overwhelmed her and aside from the thoughts of how good he felt, the only thing she seemed to be able to think about was how they should have done this sooner. "David," she whimpered as she lifted her hands so they threaded through his hair and then turned her head to kiss him.

Her voice bounced against his mouth in time with every thrust of his hips and as he kissed her he could feel what little control he had left slipping from his grasp. He wasn't sure if she realized just how sexy she was. Or maybe she did and that was why he was so enthralled with her. Either way, he loved her and the way she was moaning and shouting was making his mind even more foggy than ever before. "You feel amazing," he moaned against her lips and when she rolled her head back on his shoulder he squeezed at her breast and toyed with her pebbled nipple so he could watch her face contort in further pleasure as her breaths caught and her voice cried next to his ear.

"Come for me," he growled as he slid his hand from her hip to her clit and panted against her neck. She hissed and swore at the added sensation and he merely grinned against her. Grinned and rubbed her a little harder and her body convulsed a little against his but he wouldn't let her curl in on herself. No he kept her upright with the hand still kneading her breast.

But it didn't keep her from squirming, nor did he want it to. He wanted to feel her move, he wanted to feel her muscles tighten and convulse with the pleasure he was giving her. After all, she had asked for it and he only wanted to make her happy. He was so glad Henry wasn't home. His dear mother was being much too loud to be considered acceptable for anyone's ears but his. He loved it.

He loved it and he wanted more, he wanted her louder and as she cried out a curse and pulled harder on his hair, he knew she was getting closer. "Let me hear you come," he breathed against her ear as he quickened the circles his fingers rubbed over her clit.

"Oh my god!" She cried out as her muscles quivered and she screamed, "fuck!" She screamed and her loud moan bounced with every hard thrust of his hips from behind her. "Don't stop," she moaned and then breathed her mantra, "oh don't stop, don't stop, don't stop. Oh! Shit!" She screamed out as he fucked her a little faster. And then before she was ready, her orgasm hit her, crippled her even as she screamed out and shook against him.

"Fuck!" She cried out and her breaths all came out in sharp gasps.

"Yes," he hissed against her neck as his open mouth rested against her neck and he slowed his fingers to a halt against her clit so he could focus and pound against her harder than before so she was choking on her moans and clawing at his hips. Torn between keeping him there and pushing herself away from him.

"Oooh myyy god!" She moaned and then screamed out loud as her orgasm tore through her harder than before. "Fuck, David!" She cried out and just when she thought she wasn't going to be able to take anymore, he stopped. He stopped and she sucked in a gasp of air before he gave a few more slower thrusts to bring her down a little kinder before he slid himself out.

She could barely see straight when she opened her eyes and her entire body vibrated with the pleasure radiating through every cell of her body. "You bastard," she rasped with a snarl and then moaned and whimpered as her eyes fell shit and her head fell back on his shoulder. He merely laughed against her skin, his voice low and husky with his arousal as he dragged his lips down her neck and shoulder and his fingers around her breast and down her stomach. Soft and tender as though he hadn't just fucked her like a god damn animal.

"Do it again," she rasped, her voice slightly hoarse from the screams he had drawn out of her throat.

David hummed against her shoulder and then let his touch grow a little heavier over her figure, "as you wish, my love."

"Don't call me that."

"Get over it," he told her and before she could snap a reply, he caught her mouth in a fervent kiss and turned her around. It seemed any argument she held was forgotten with the moan she gave against his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck and her breasts pressed to his chest.

...

She woke up slowly. It was warm and comfortable and quiet. But unfortunately she woke up first. She woke up first and was left alone with her thoughts and tendency to fantasize of worst case scenarios. Or at least that is the path of angst and self loathing she had believed herself to start following. But once she was awake enough to actually create a proper thought, she found herself laughing out a small breath instead.

She was sore and she was tired. Every muscle in her body protested any sort of movement and she couldn't remember the last time she felt like that. It was ridiculous. She was exhausted and she was naked and needed a shower to wash the dried sweat and sex off of her. But she couldn't move. Her bed was much too comfortable and David was much to warm beside her. So she stayed. She kept her eyes closed and took a deep breath and stayed where she was.

She laid there absolutely content and relaxed and pondered how nice it would be to wake up like this every morning. And as she pondered deeper she came to realize that there really was no reason she couldn't. It made her frown and when David began to stir beside her, she blinked her eyes open and waited to see what would happen. Surely he wouldn't regret what had happened...right?

She listened to him suck in a slow deep breath and then let it out just as slowly through his nose as he rolled over and nuzzled his nose in to the back of her neck. It made her skin shiver and her heart skip and she barely suppressed a soft contented moan when he carefully drew his body closer to hers.

"Are you awake?" He whispered softly with his eyes closed and his breaths slow.

"...Yes," she replied after a moment of contemplation regarding pretending to be asleep. He simply hummed against her neck and shoulder and then drew in another deep and sleepy breath.

"Good morning," he greeted with a smile and pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck. She didn't move. She remained on her stomach with her head turned away from him and he didn't mind. He merely continued with his slow and tender kisses down the line of her spine, carefully pushing the blankets and sheets out of his way as he needed. She was absolutely beautiful. The morning light pouring in through the windows, the white sheets, her dark hair, her soft bare skin, and the supple muscles in her back. What he wouldn't give to wake up to this every morning.

"I am the problem," she conceded softly and his kiss lingered on her spine longer than the rest had as he processed her words. When his lips left her skin and his fingers started her hair away from her neck, she silently rolled over on to her back and he didn't say a word. Only accommodated her movement and watched her kindly.

"I am the problem," she repeated and he tilted his head ever so slightly as he listened to her and slowly tucked her hair behind her ear with the the most gentle fingers. Then her eyes fell to his chest and her throat grew a little tight with the vulnerability and insecurity that came with the words she was about to speak.

"I am the one making this so difficult. I am the one making all of these scenes and instigating all of these arguments. I am the one drawing out this frustration and heartache. It would be resolved so quickly and people would move on if I were to just...comply."

"You have never been one to comply to anything or anyone, your majesty," he defended and teased with a soft smile of adoration as he tucked her hair behind her ear once more and his eyes studied her face, "you are far too proud to bend."

"But I want to bend," she told him quietly and her heart leapt at the smile that pulled his lips higher for just a moment. Then the rub of his thumb over her cheek brought that leaping heart of hers in to a slow burn that warmed her chest and had her swallowing and quickly licking her lips as her eyes fell from his and to his mouth.

"What is stopping you?" He asked softly and instead of defensive anger and sharp words he got a small and sad little laugh as she shook her head.

"I don't even know," she answered quietly and felt the urge to cry when he hummed and rubbed his thumb over her cheek.

"Is it Henry?"

"No. He is one of the few endorsing this...relationship."

"Well that is a load of my mind," he breathed as he played with the hair above her ear and she smiled just a little. And then he inquired, "one of the few?"

"Tinkerbell is on the fence but not truly against it," she noted and he nodded, "and Belle held no quarrel the last time we spoke," she finished and his eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"Belle?"

"Mmm."

"I didn't know you were friends."

"She found my personal library. I can't keep her out," she answered quietly with mock displeasure and he laughed softly.

"Sure," he teased and she glowered at him for a moment but that was all it lasted for. "I am happy you have people in your corner," he smiled and she softened and looked down as she replied quietly.

"Me too..."

"Hmm. Well if it's not Henry and it's not Tinkerbell and it's not Belle, that leaves us with...well the rest of the town really," he teased and she gave him a look that he was surprised didn't come with a scoff. It made him smirk though all the same. And then his face sobered and he sunk down a little more on to her so their bodies were warmer and their faces were closer, "yourself included," he noted and her expression softened as she took his words to heart. He was falling for her eyes all over again. They were so expressive and so deep and dark. He had loved them as her stableboy and he loved them even more now. Even though they didn't truly know him anymore. Not yet anyway.

"Kiss me," she breathed and he gave one single and subtle shake of his head with a tender smile as his eyes wandered her face yet again.

"Is it really me who needs to convince you it is safe to love me?" He inquired softly and she didn't respond. Not aloud anyway. The fact that she was laying there relaxed and silent told him plenty. That he had finally gotten her in the right state of mind and asked the right question at the right moment and she was then fully and honestly contemplating where they stood and what she wanted.

And she did kiss him. She lifted her head from her pillow and her hands cradled his face so she could kiss him slowly. His heart lurched in to his throat at the contact and he sighed through his nose against her cheek as he sunk in to her a little heavier and savoured the moment. Soft and slow and perfect. She was letting herself feel and he couldn't ask for anything more.

When she parted from the kiss it was just as slow as she had started it and as her head sunk back in to her pillow, her followed her. Her hands remained on either side of his face and his nose stayed against the side of hers and softly nudging in to her cheek. He couldn't help but be as close to her as possible. So he stayed tender and he savoured every moment she allowed him to have.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered and nearly choked on her words she was so tense. Anxiety plagued her from head to toe. It was uncomfortable and foreign to have him so devoted and kind to her. She wanted it to stop. But she wanted to adapt to him more than she wanted him to stop.

"In what regard?" He asked just as quietly as her hands softly pet and stroked either side of his face.

"I just-...I don't-...I haven't been loved like this in such a long time. I don't know what I am doing, I don't remember how to love like this," she told him softly as he lifted his head just enough to look her in the eye. But she only glanced at those piercing blue eyes of his before her eyes shied away and looked at the sheets over her chest, "Ive spent so much time...hating everything that I just..." She shook her head with a tired and pained laugh and kept her eyes down, "...loving someone is foreign to me now. It's just been Henry...but that is different than...this..." She drifted off uncomfortably and felt the desire to cry burn in her chest when his thumb so tenderly caressed her jaw.

"This is hard for me..."

"I know," he breathed softly and immediately after his voice was heard, her forehead was creased and her lips were thinned in her efforts to keep her tears to herself. It made him frown just a little as he runner his thumb over her cheek. As if to tell her it was okay to cry for he would wipe away her tears.

"I don't want to be cruel to you."

"I know."

"I don't want to be mean."

"I know."

"I want you to stay," she told him and hated the quiver in her voice. The slight whine to her tone was not appreciated either. But she was just so tired and so frustrated. He didn't mind though. He only touched her more gently and it softened her armour even further until she was on the brink of tears with how he was coaxing her feelings out of her. "But I don't know how to keep you," she told him and made herself look up at him. His eyes were so kind it made her more upset than ever before over how she had treated him. And his mouth was so gentle but so strong. He made her feel inferior to him. She knew it wasn't his intention by any means but her mind wouldn't stop whispering about how she didn't deserve him. She probably didn't.

"It will not be difficult to keep me, my darling Regina," he breathed gently with the smallest shake of his head, his voice adopting a warm and slightly rasped sound as she hid her eyes from him once more. "You have thrown everything at me and I am still here. I have no intention to ever leave your side," he told her softly and she crossed her jaw and kept her eyes down, "I don't want to be anywhere but here."

"I want to believe you..." She replied quietly with another slight furrow of her brow.

"What can I do to convince you I am telling the truth?" He asked as he trailed his fingers behind her ear once more to follow the fall of her hair. But she didn't answer him with anything more than a slight shake of her head that told him she was just as lost as he was. It was strange to see her so quiet and timid. But he wasn't about to tell her she was being difficult for she really wasn't. Her temper was nowhere to be seen and she was trying her best to be open and honest. But it was uncomfortable for her. He could tell.

So he was patient with her and appreciated her efforts more than words could say. But that didn't stop him from carefully pulling answers from her. "Snow's part in this is still bothering you, isn't it," he prodded softly and she remained silent for a few moments longer before she nodded her head once.

"Yes."

"Tell me why," he requested gently and she answered without a pause.

"She is your wife. You loved her. With every fibre in your being you loved that idiot girl. I don't understand why such passion has suddenly disappeared," she told him and once she looked back up at him, she was caught by those loving eyes of his. Eyes that made her stomach flip and flutter.

"I haven't loved Snow for quite some time."

"You may believe that. But no one else has been able to wrap their head around it. You fell asleep loving her and woke up a fortnight later not giving a damn about anyone or anything but me. Of all people," she argued quietly, her voice soft and gentle as her eyes searched his for answers, "me."

"I loved you before I fell in to that coma."

"It still wasn't enough time, David. I will not deny that the threat of losing you to death scared the hell out of me. Nor will I deny the daydreams that filled my mind regarding you waking up and kissing me before your wife," she confessed softly as her eyes dipped away again and she tried to gather her words. "I will not deny any of it to you but they were strictly reveries never meant to come to life. It has all been very sudden. For me."

"I can understand that," he nodded softly and she stayed quiet for a little while. So he waited for her to speak again and enjoyed how she was trying to open up.

"Can you maybe just...stop being so patient with me?"

Her words caught him a little by surprise and he frowned curiously with a tilt of his head, "what do you mean?"

"You've just...I don't..." She stumbled and then sighed irritably at herself. She was always so articulate until she was talking to him. "It's just that you have been waiting for me to decide to come to you. You've been kind and encouraging and always floating around in the background but...I don't know how to come to you. I don't know how to love you," she tried to explain but was really only growing more frustrated with how she wasn't able to find the right arrangement of words. "I just need you to stop being so patient," she repeated and he tilted his head the other way as his fingers played with the ends of her hair, "and just..."

"Ease you in to it?" He offered and she huffed her held breath in release of the hassle of trying to speak. It made him smile.

"Yes."

"Fuck you senseless," he nodded and then grinned a wide and boyish grin at the laugh that escaped her lips before she could restrain it. The sound had him laughing too even after she had silenced hers.

"Yes," she nodded in agreement and tried to rein in her smile when she looked up at him, "and keep my company."

"I can do that," he smiled and she relaxed. Finally. "But it was good sex last night, wasn't it," he grinned and then grinned wider at the way her lips pursed to keep her grin and laughter at bay. Her eyes gave her away though. "Wasn't it," he prodded with a wider grin as he slowly moved so he was on top of her.

"It was great sex," she told him and just when she thought he couldn't possibly grin any wider, he proved her dead wrong.

"Yeah it was," he nodded with his enormous and cocky grin and she gave in and started laughing.

"You are such an idiot."

"An idiot who made you scream until you were hoarse," he noted with his grin and she shook her head.

"I was not hoarse."

"I have ears, your majesty, as do your neighbours, I'm sure we can go ask them what they heard," he grinned and she pursed her lips in a smirk and raised a single brow, "I bet they were all thanking their gods that their bitchy mayor was finally getting some," he teased and then both her eyebrows were raised.

"You're an ass," she told him but try as she might, she could not wipe the damn smile off her face with the way that cocky bastard was grinning at her.

"You love me anyway," he grinned as he started lowering his head.

"I never said that."

"It has been heavily implied, your majesty," he assured and she was laughing when he kissed her.


	22. Chapter 22

**I had every intention to post this last night but then I got caught up in that episode and daaaaaaaaamn Lana! Fuck! And then I couldn't get this morning figured out. So here it is! So much later than I had ever intended and I sincerely hope the next one doesn't take so long. But enjoy! And please leave a review!**

* * *

"Red or blue?" She asked as she came out of her closet with two blouses hanging from hangers on her fingers.

"Red," he answered without hesitation and stayed in bed while she turned and went back in to her closet. Then he laughed under his breath to himself just because he was so incredibly happy and he was still smiling when she came back out with the red blouse hanging unbuttoned from her beautiful figure. "Come here," he nodded as he pushed himself up and moved toward the foot of the bed. Her dark eyes merely flicked up from the button on her cuff and when she saw his smile she smirked right back and slowly sauntered toward him.

As soon as she was within reach he had moved his hands forward to pull her to him with his grip low on her hips. And then she was laughing. With her knees against the bed and his lips kissing her stomach, she laughed and stopped fussing with the stubborn button on her cuff and threaded her fingers through his hair instead. It made him warm inside.

"I could have showered with you," he told her and her fingers continued to work through his hair as he started buttoning her shirt, "we could have saved time. And water," he grinned against her skin as he kissed her stomach and she gave him a laugh in return.

"No time or water would have been saved," she chuckled and he grinned that boyish grin of his as he buttoned her shirt higher and looked her in the eye. He still didn't have a stitch of clothing on him. Only the sheets and the duvet haphazardly tangled and wrapped around his waist to hide everything important. But she would be lying if she said she didn't let her eyes shamelessly wander every inch of him that was exposed to her.

"But it wouldn't have been wasted," he reasoned and her lovely hands kept combing through his hair and gently massaged his scalp.

"No it wouldn't have," she had to agree and that grin of his spread even wider as he pressed a kiss to her skin just below her bra.

"Next time," he told her and she laughed again.

"Maybe."

"I'll take that answer," he grinned and pressed one final kiss to her sternum before he buttoned the final button over her breasts. The one he was tempted to just do the world a favour and leave open.

Once his hands started sliding back down her figure, Regina tipped his head up to hers and kissed that grinning mouth of his. He was such a hopeless fool. She couldn't help but love him when he grinned at her like that. Like he was the quiet humble boy whose prom invitation was just accepted by the captain cheerleader. So she kissed him and caught his contagious grin and smiled against his lips as he proceeded to tuck her shirt in to the waist of her black pencil skirt.

She couldn't say she had ever been dressed by a man before. She found she rather loved it. And it made her adore him even more than she already did. "You need to have a shower," she grinned against his lips, "I am going to go make breakfast."

"What if I wanted to make breakfast?"

"Well you should have fought harder for the first shower," she retorted with a grin and then pressed a single kiss to his lips before she started to back away from him. But she didn't even make it a single step backward before he halted her and gently took her wrist in his hands. Her curiosity was settled and she smiled once again as she watched him easily slide the button on her cuff in to its designated hole and then proceeded to do the second one she had originally been arguing with. She truly did adore this fool.

"I will be making breakfast next time, my contentious little queen," he smirked at her and then turned her hand so he could kiss her palm.

Regina tried to hide her smirk but she knew it was hopeless the moment she tried pursing her lips to do just that. It only made him grin wider, "fine," she complied and he laughed, "would you like coffee?"

"I would."

"Then let me go make some," she smirked and then snatched her hand from his grip. He merely continued to laugh at her but he did let her turn away without further hinderance.

...

Regina was pouring the coffee when her front door opened. The sound had her immediately tipping the pot up just enough to stop the dark liquid from pouring but not enough that she couldn't continue with the slightest change of angle. She could have sworn she had locked the door. And who on earth would be walking in to her home this early in the morning? Not that it was that early...she had lingered in bed with David for over an hour.

"Good morning," Tink chirped as she strode in to the kitchen and was greeted with an eye roll, "awe you even poured me a mug," she smiled and put a skip in her step so she could pick the mug up from the counter, "how sweet. You've grown to expect me now," she smirked as she spun and leaned back against the counter while Regina watched her with a mild frown.

"No actually. Your company never once crossed my mind," Regina replied plainly and continued pouring the second mug while Tink laughed in to hers. David had better be taking the longest shower of his life.

"Why else would you have two mugs?"

"I'm tired."

"Right," Tink chuckled and Regina gave a slight shake of her head and a small clear of her throat. "What happened to your neck?" She questioned with a nod and a slight furrow of her brow before she took a sip of her coffee. Regina merely looked back at her with a confused frown.

"My neck?"

"Yeah, your neck," Tink laughed a little and pushed herself from the counter so she could step up to her, "under your hair," she told her and Regina frowned in deeper confusion.

Regina hadn't a clue as to what she was talking about. She hadn't seen anything on her neck in the mirror. But then again she wasn't exactly looking where her hair covered it. And she was also distracted by David watching her from her bed. And then she remembered. Just as Tink reached forward and pushed her hair to the side she remembered being pinned against David's truck and she remembered he had been sure to give her a mark. A mark he was also sure to reinforce in her bed.

So in an instant she jumped back and lifted a hand to cover the side of her neck but judging by the look of utter surprise on Tink's face, the fairy had seen more than enough in that split second. How could she have forgotten about that? "It's nothing," she lied and Tink didn't believe her. Not even a little bit.

"No? Because it looks an awful lot like a love bite."

"I burned myself with a curling iron a few days ago and forgot about it."

"Clever," Tink congratulated with a raise of her brow and a nod of her head but then smiled a little and shook her head, "you don't use a curling iron."

"I do. Sometimes," she argued and let her hand fall from her neck. Tink only nodded and Regina hated the glint in her eye. And then David turned the water off upstairs and what had been disregarded background noise had suddenly run silent and Tink was all too quick to notice the change.

"And I suppose that is...?" She inquired with a lazy point of her finger toward the stairs and Regina shrugged a shoulder.

"Henry came home early."

"Right. So it was his doppelgänger I saw going in to Granny's for brunch on my way here. Interesting," she nodded and Regina crossed her jaw as subtly as she could. It made Tink smirk just a little. "Well I suppose you won't mind then if I go and say hello," she smirked and Regina busied her brain with trying to formulate another lie to keep her from going upstairs. It was so very rare that she caught Regina without the upper hand. It was amusing to her. So she watched her and waited for Regina to say something.

When she didn't do anything more than stand in silence with a tense jaw, Tink took a step back and Regina tipped forward. So Tink put her mug on the counter as she turned and started making her way toward the stairs. Regina was hurrying after her in an instant.

"Tink."

"Mhm?" She replied as she put a skip in her steps across the foyer.

"Tink!"

"It's almost like you're _hiding_ something up there," she exclaimed in a mocking tone as she hurried up the stairs and Regina tried to catch up to her, "whatever could it be?"

"Tink!" Regina tried again but the blonde stayed ahead of her and when Regina tried to use her magic, Tinkerbell laughed and shrunk herself in to a fairy and darted even further ahead. "You twinkly little bug," Regina hissed as she ran after her. She should have never helped her get her wings back.

Without hesitation the fairy dove low and seamlessly slipped beneath her bedroom door just as Regina wrapped her hand around the handle. When the door swung open she was met with a shirtless and confused David buttoning his jean and a smirking Tinkerbell with her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised.

"Funny. This doesn't look like Henry," Tink noted and watched David finish buttoning his jeans in her peripheral while Regina worked out her tight jaw.

"Fine!" She snapped and Tink pushed her head forward.

"Fine what?"

"I slept with him! I got pissed and hot and bothered and told him to take care of it! I don't want to deal with any of your judgement! I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions and I have decided that I want him close! He is persistent and I am tired of pushing him away when all I have ever wanted to do is have him to myself! So I am taking him for myself and I am ignoring the guilt in doing so because it feels far to good and far too right to deny him any longer!"

"Are you finished?"

"No I am _not_ finished!" Regina shouted and Tink smirked a little more and David bit back a smile and kept his eyes down as he threaded his belt back through his jeans. But despite her claim otherwise, Regina didn't have anything more to say. She supposed she just needed the final word in. So she paused and tried to think of something to say and her company waited patiently in amusement as her fingers twitched. And then with a scowl she settled on, "I want him here."

Tink nodded once more and then turned her eyes to David when a grin split his lips and a light laugh laced his breath. When her eyes moved back to Regina, the brunette had moved her eyes to David as well but her scowl remained untouched and it nearly had her own laughter coming to the surface. But she kept it down and spoke instead, "Regina, I have never judged you. You know that. I have always been in your corner and I've been trying to support you through this whole thing. I haven't pushed you either way because I hadn't yet decided what was best. I came here this morning because I decided to do my job.

I am a fairy, Regina, I had once made it my goal in life to make sure you found happiness and I came to realize that there is this charming guy whose apparent goal in life is solely to make you happy. And conveniently enough it is the same charming guy who you so obviously want to have make you happy. And even more conveniently, you're already twelve steps ahead of me and have him spending the night in your bed. Without clothing I am feeling free to assume," she added with a wave of her hand at them before she folded her arms and moved her weight on to one foot.

"That would be a correct assumption," David nodded and Tink snorted a laugh and looked his way while Regina scowled at him. He simply grinned and laughed at his feisty brunette and soon enough her face was softening with the smile she was trying so hard to hide.

"Relax, Regina," Tink smiled and felt herself settle in to the dynamic of the three of them. It was right. David was right. "It's alright. I'm your friend. And I really was coming here to convince you to give him a chance," she assured and Regina tried to come to terms with what had been said. She didn't seem to be able to say a word though and merely found herself standing with her arms folded and her lips tight. It was David that spoke up first.

"Well...good morning, Tinkerbell."

"Oh yes good morning, David," she chirped with an amused grin but Regina found no humour in it, "I feel though that my company is not welcome, so I will be leaving you two to do as you please," she nodded and then with one final look between the pair of them, she made her leave with a smile.

"Well she's fun," David chuckled and Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes.

...

It was quiet now. They had had breakfast, fooled around, laughed, and she grew more and more comfortable with the idea of having him around. His hands were always on her. Always. They were on her hips and waist as she cooked and he whispered to her between kisses, he shadowed her, made her laugh and grin as though she were a teenager once more. He made it so easy and he kept her hesitant thoughts at bay. It was wonderful. She couldn't even remember the last time she had laughed and smiled so much. Her cheeks were sore.

And now breakfast was finished and everything was quiet while she spun his dark dreamcatcher in her fingers. He hadn't left though and with a long exhale, she tipped her head back in the front of his shoulder and he rested the side of his head alongside hers. His arms were around her waist and she sat between his legs, one raised and other straight out while hers tangled over and around until she was comfortable. And she was comfortable. Comfortable and warm, lulling herself in to blissful oblivion with the steady rise and fall of his chest behind her. But she couldn't quite fall in to oblivion when she had so many dreadful thoughts.

Dreadful thoughts could all be connected to the dreamcatcher she held.

"How far have you gotten?" He broke the silence gently and she tried to distance herself from her answer but he saw right through it.

"She saved Snow White...against your wishes..." She replied and he hummed and rubbed his thumb over her ribs and snugged his arms a little tighter around her middle.

"And how long are you going to torture yourself with depriving yourself from answers out of fear?" He asked kindly and felt the subtle shake of her head as he watched her thumb slide over the leather bound ring of the dream catcher.

"How does it end?"

"I feel it is best you learn the outcome of it yourself. And then, if you wish, I will tell you the rest," he told her and her jaw clenched against the side of his face. She was frustrated by his answer and rightfully so he supposed. She was never one to enjoy surprises. At least not in the waking world when the only surprises she received were ones that tore her world apart. But she was so far in that it truly was best for her to see for herself what became of her and Snow's tale.

"I am not going anywhere, darling," he promised softly and pressed a kiss to her temple. And then the dream catcher came to life, glowing with a warm gold and shimmering with magic and as it swirled and awaited direction, Regina hesitated. She hesitated for quite awhile while the dream catcher awaited instruction. He didn't push her and eventually, she let herself slip away from himself and in to a memory. A memory that he watched over her shoulder and while he could hear nothing, he recalled that evening as though it were just the last.

 _It was well in to the night by the time she was able to go to him without fear of being caught. But she did make it down to the stables. With the moon hung high and the stars shining bright, she let her young magic take her to the stables and what she saw did not calm her worried heart. She had never seen David more stressed than he was right then. He looked exhausted. His hair was disheveled and his posture was slumped as he sat on his stool with his elbows on his thighs and his glazed eyes wild and focused at nothing at all. He was so lost in his head that he didn't even see her appear._

 _And he looked as though he had aged ten years._

 _It made her frown as she stepped toward him and her chest tightened even further in wary fear when he finally snapped his head to her and his expression fell all the more worried and stressed at the sight of her. "David," she started softly and he was quickly on his feet and pulling her head in to a kiss that terrified her more than anything else. It was desperate and afraid and he had never kissed her like that before. Never with fear. It was like he was afraid he was going to lose her and given the fact he knew so much about her potential future, it was a very strong possibility._

 _So when he parted and pressed his forehead to hers and tightened his grip around her head, she spoke to him softly with her fingers around his sides, "David, you are worrying me."_

 _"You shouldn't have saved that girl," he told her as he shook his head against hers and furrowed his brow even deeper, "you should have let me do it."_

 _"Why? What difference would it have made?"_

 _"All the difference in the world," he breathed with a miserable frown as the panic shook through his very bones._

 _"Tell me," she whispered with a soft frown as she stepped just a little closer to him so their hips were together and her nose bumped against his._

 _"I have kept telling you that I would protect you. That I wouldn't let you become the Evil Queen because I knew what atrocities she had dealt with in her past and I knew of the one event that put all of them in motion...I thought I was going to be able to stop you, I thought I was going to be able to keep you safe but now...I don't know what to do," he breathed and he felt the waves of panic and grief start to waft from her and hit him like a freight train._

 _"Saving that girl," she started softly and shook her head as she rubbed her hands up to his chest for better support, "that was the one event wasn't it," she cried softly but no tears came yet. Her hands merely took fistfuls of his shirt and her heart begged him to say no. But he nodded and her heart broke with a sharp exhale akin to a sob as her hands found his face. She should have listened to him. Oh how she should have listened to him on that hilltop. There was no reason for him to yell at her like he had unless there had been something wrong. She should have listened._

 _"What now?" She breathed in a panic and tried to get closer to him, "what happens now?"_

 _"I don't know. But I won't let them take you away from me," he told her and she gave a small fearful cry before she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in to the crook of it. So he held her close and he held her tight and tried to figure out what to do next._

Regina parted from the memory with a small whimper and a shaky gasp of air pulled in to her lungs. Her skin was crawling with the anxiety that had come with that memory and she felt utterly nauseas living through that part of her life again. She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to feel that fear and pain again.

"David, I-" she shook her head but he hushed her quiet and she shook her head harder instead.

"It's alright," he soothed but she didn't believe him. Not in the slightest.

So he lifted an arm from around her waist so he could push her hair away from her neck and tuck her hair behind her ear. It was a slow and loving caress that stilled her head shaking and drew a deep breath from her and he realized then just how hard it was for her. He realized that he was making her relive one of the worst times in her life and making her do it alone. Yes he was there with her but he wasn't _there_.

Disappointed and frustrated with himself, he quickly took a different approach. He pulled the dream catcher from her tight and shaky hands and wrapped his arms far too tight around her. One around her waist, the other around her chest and shoulders as he buried his nose in to her neck and she moved her arms across her body so she could find and hold on to each of his hands.

"I am being unfair to you," he told her and kissed her right where her neck met her shoulder.

"No you aren't," she argued quietly but he persisted.

"I believed you were watching my memories when you are actually reliving yours and it is undoubtedly taking its toll while I sit by and let it be so."

"I'm fine," she denied despite knowing he was going to see right through it.

And see through it he did, "you are not, my love," he scolded in his gentlest voice and felt her back sink heavier in to his chest. "I have made you feel alone in this fight and I am realizing that now. But you are not alone. I am here with you, I am here for you. I want to help support you even though I know you can make it work yourself. So as you look through these last memories, remember that I am here, remember that when you come out of it, I am waiting for you. I will be no matter what."

His sternness in his dedication to her was completely foreign to her. She didn't know how to respond to it. She opened her mouth to speak in hopes that something would come out but nothing did. So she let her mouth close and nodded once instead. She believed every word he said but she couldn't quite come to terms with what they meant. People had told her time and time again that they would be there for her but not once had they every truly followed through. It had gotten to the point where she would simply laugh in their faces and send them away. She had stopped believing that such an arrangement of words as "I am here for you" held any merit at all.

And suddenly she was believing every word as they left his kind mouth. It seemed though that a nod was all he needed in reply from her and once more shivers flew down her spine and fluttered her stomach when he left a kiss on the side of her neck. With a slow blink and a thick swallow, she tipped her head in to his and he hummed a warm hum that put her on edge while simultaneously making her feel safer and more at home than she had ever felt before.

In his arms, warm and held and safe, she was home. She had never felt such a strong pull of home than she did right then. The very thought of leaving his arms was enough to bring tears to her eyes. So she wrapped her arms tighter around herself and him and squeezed his hands with all her strength. He responded in kind and as he pulled her deeper in to his chest, he nuzzled his nose in to her cheek and his forehead to her temple. She never wanted to leave.

"Ready?" He whispered against her skin and after a moment of silence, she gave a small nod. A few moments later, he was pressing a lingering kiss to the corner of her mouth and then unwound his arm from around her chest and disentangled his fingers from hers so the dream catcher was in front of them. The fact that the tension didn't deep back in to his darling woman did not go unnoticed and he was sure to keep his other arm snug around her waist and his fingers entwined with hers. The stress was gone from her. Or at least most of it and that had his heart soaring.

It didn't take long for him to find the memory he needed. He skipped over several she could have seen but it would have brought more dread and heartache to the woman who had more than enough for several lifetimes shoved in to just half of hers. She needed answers and now, answers is what he would give and when her hesitant fingers took gentle hold of the dream catcher with him, she pulled them both in to the memory.

 _Days had gone by. Each more stressful than the previous. He was paranoid and terrified and he could barely sleep. Not even when she was in his bed with his arms around her. She couldn't either for that matter. She would just lay there with him with her head on his chest and her arms wrapped around his middle. Silently. They were both quiet through those stressful days. No more games, so little teasing, very little laughter. They simply spent their time holding one another and telling each other how much they loved one another. That was all they could do._

 _He hadn't told her that in the queen's equivalent to their tale, he had died at Cora's hand. He hadn't told her and he wasn't going to. She didn't need to know that. She would only push harder that they run away together despite his insistence that they could not do such a thing. Telling her they couldn't run away was the hardest thing. He wanted so dearly to run away with her and live alone and together with her. But he knew they couldn't. So every day he told her they couldn't and every day she grew more distraught. He didn't tell her he would die if they tried. But she sensed that something terrible was going to happen. Cora would find them in a heartbeat. He believed that in the deepest parts of her, she knew it just as well as he did. He hadn't told her that the king was coming for her either._

 _News like that would send her in to a frenzy and undoubtedly, a mental breakdown. She had already spent years knowing and dreading her fate of being forced in to a royal marriage. There was no need to make it a reality for her. Especially when there was still a chance that he could stop it._

 _But as the days went on he wondered if the king was ever going to make an appearance. He knew the king had been gone and that was why the princess had been travelling without him but it had been nearly a week and a half since Regina had saved Snow. Much longer than he had anticipated the king's arrival. But the day he doubted the king was every going to show up was the day David saw the royal cavalry cantering up to the manor._

 _His heart plummeted at the sight of a white horse amongst the bays and chestnuts. The pounding of the earth, the royal flags, the colours. He didn't know what to do. Even with all of the extra days he had been gifted with he still hadn't a clue as to how to save his darling Regina from the hands of the king. But he couldn't just stand there._

 _So he dropped the brushes in Rocinante's stall and swung himself up and over the stall door and sprinted from the stables up toward the front of the manor. His heart was pounding in his ears and his feet carried him faster than ever before up the hill to the house. He was panicked and unprepared but he made it to the gravel courtyard before the royal horses did and it gave him a handful of seconds to catch his breath but no time at all to hatch a plan. So he found himself pacing back and forth in his frenzy._

 _It wasn't that he was upset with her saving Snow against his pleas to stop. In fact he very much appreciated seeing that particular moment in time that sent the ball rolling between Regina and Snow. But that was just it. It sent the ball rolling in the wrong direction. Downhill as it were. While it was a perfectly selfless and innocent decision to save Snow, David knew that it would not fare well for anyone in the long run._

 _So there he was pacing outside the Mills manor waiting and praying that he could find a way and spare her this time. He didn't know what good it would do for he was still rather certain this was all some form of dream but he had grown to love that woman and real or not he could not have her suffer through it all again. He couldn't let his bright Regina slowly die and become the one he knew while he was awake. It had been such a long time since he had truly thought about that life. It had only came back to him when he and Regina encountered Snow's runaway horse. His mind had not been sound since._

 _He snapped his full attention to the king and his men as they rode up to the enormous home and his gut twisted in anxiety with each stride that brought them closer. And then they stopped in front of him and he felt like he may find himself lost in a panic attack. He had never been so worried for someone he loved, "your majesty," he greeted politely as the king dismounted._

 _"Good afternoon," Leopold nodded and reached forward to hand the man his reins but he didn't take them and instead looked him right in the eye. It was a curious response and had him shifting his weight curiously and lowering his hand back to his side._

 _"May I be so bold as to ask for your company. Only for a little while before you enter the home. It is quite important."_

 _With a small breath of laughter, Leopold granted the stablehand his wish with a curious nod and waved for his men to back off. Once they had and the gravel had settled beneath the horses' hooves, he permitted with another nod, "you may speak."_

 _"It is about Regina. I am aware of your intentions to go in there and ask for her hand in marriage so that your daughter may have a motherly figure in her life. One who truly takes an interest in her. I admire that and there is no one better suited than Regina for such a figure but, your majesty," he shook his head with a distressed smile and tried to find the right phrasing, "I can promise you she will never be happy there. She will gladly love the princess so long as she is not trapped in a marriage without love. She values truly nothing more than love and freedom and she will only feel like a caged pet within the walls of your castle. No matter how lavish. She will go mad and she will be miserable, I can guarantee it."_

 _"Is that so?"_

 _"It is, sir."_

 _"And how do you know this?"_

 _"She finds solace and relief in the stables on this property. I have gotten to know her well with my work here. She speaks only of how she wishes she could runaway from this place. Runaway to live a simple life and build a family. She cares not for status or jewels or power, she dreams only of finding freedom and love and I admire her for such humble and honest desires."_

 _Leopold didn't say a word. He had indeed come to the property with every intention of bringing the young woman home with him for his daughter. But this man gave him pause. He was insignificant really, it would be so easy to step around him and continue on with his plans to make the young woman queen but instead, Leopold cocked his head and looked the stablehand up and down, "you love her. Don't you."_

 _"Yes but that is not the point. I do not care if I never saw her again so long as she was happy. This path will not make her happy. If you want her for your daughter then move her closer to you but do not force her in to a life she does not want to live, do not push her in to a marriage that will only bring her misery," he pleaded almost desperately on Regina's behalf and took half a step closer to the king, "you are known for your kindness and for your desire to assure the happiness of your people. Do not make her an exception."_

 _..._

 _"Regina," Cora called quietly and excitedly and her daughter turned to look at her, "no," she shook her head at her attire and with a wave of her hand her daughter's riding clothes were exchanged for a blue gown. The light blue was her daughter's favourite and while Cora would prefer something darker and more elegant, she knew the one she chose would offer less resistance on Regina's part._

 _Regina frowned down at her dress and held out the skirt a little as she examined the layers of light blue silk and the embroidery over the front of the bodice. The last thing she wanted to do was play dress up, "mother I cannot ride in this."_

 _"You are not going riding, darling."_

 _Those words sunk her lower than they ordinarily did. She desperately wanted to see David. So much so that her mother's airy and plain denial nearly put her in tears. She just wanted to bury her face in to his chest and hold him until the world left them alone. But she couldn't, "well then where am I going?"_

 _"Nowhere yet," she smiled and pulled her away from the mirror and held her hand as she walked with her, "the king is here to speak with you."_

 _"The king?" She parroted and immediately felt like she was going to throw up. It was like a stone just plummeted from her throat and now rolled around in her belly. All she could hear was David shouting at her on top of that hill as she raced Rocinante down that hill. That was all she could hear. He knew._

 _He knew._

 _"That girl you saved from that runaway horse was the princess. He has come to thank you personally."_

 _Regina opened her mouth to respond but stopped when she caught sight of the king and his men walking in to the large room. She couldn't bring herself to smile at him and only managed to curtsy politely before him once her mother had quietly scolded her for not instinctively doing so. David knew. He had sworn he would keep her from the hands of any king and because she ignored him, because she had saved Snow White, he had told her he didn't know how to save her from the fate he knew her to have. He didn't know how to save her from the king. She was nearly in tears._

 _Her stomach churned and her skin crawled and ached as she crossed her ankles and bent her knees. She dipped her head lower than she knew she should but she couldn't look at the king. She couldn't without bursting in to tears for she realized her fate now. David had called it a slippery slope and she so desperately wished she had listened more carefully to his words._

 _The woman he loved in his world was the Evil Queen. Not the Evil Girl, or the Evil Maid, or the Evil Witch. Queen. How could she have been so ignorant of the title? How had she not put the pieces together until now? She felt sick to her stomach and completely and utterly heartbroken. She had never wanted David more than she did right then._

 _"No, please stand," Leopold smiled and the young woman obeyed and stood up straight without a word, "you saved my daughter's life. It is I who should bow to you," he smiled and bowed to her, rising only to see her staring back at him through dark eyes that gave notice to the emotions her beautiful face so expertly hid away. Standing up straight now, he continued, "I have been searching without success to finding a woman who takes any interest in my daughter. And then you make yourself known. Courageous, selfless, and beautiful," he smiled and her lips curled in to a small smile but it did not reach those dark eyes. She was merely being polite. But her eyes were...devastated._

 _"Since my wife's untimely passing I have been looking for a woman fit to act as a mother for my daughter," he started and watched her polite expression slowly give way to the despair beneath, "I came here to ask for your hand in marriage," he explained and her lips pressed together in further distress and her eyes were just as quick to come back to his as they were to drop in the first place but the tension between her brows only grew. It was all rather subtle but he was looking for it, studiously watching her reaction to his words, looking for the truth in the words the stablehand had given him prior._

 _He was satisfied with what he was seeing, "now, while things are subject to change, there will be a wedding and of that I am sure," he nodded with a smile and she gave a single subtle and truly devastated shake of her head. While he had been satisfied long ago, he did remain standing there and put more pressure on the young woman just to be sure. He stood there and watched her and slowly she began to crumble. Her shoulders that he was sure she ordinarily carried with pride started to fall. Her soft lips that he had yet to see smile, began to part in her devastation. And her hands that had been gently clasped in front of her were now being marred by perfect nails digging in to flawless skin. An attempt to keep quiet he supposed._

 _And then with a slight dip of his head, Leopold pivoted a step. Turning his body but keeping his eyes on Regina as she flicked her miserable pleading eyes past him and found her stableboy behind his shoulder. Leopold could only smile when she sucked in a shaky gasp of new air and her hands flew up to cover her mouth as tears suddenly pooled in her dark eyes. Her knees buckled and she sunk several inches as a sharp sob left her throat through her shaking hands. And then she ran to him. She ran to her stableboy with tear filled laughter, terrified sobs, and open arms, not bothering to slow down before she collided in to him and he caught her and spun her full circle with his face buried in to her neck as his arms wound tighter around her._

 _Regina cried and laughed in to David's neck and he curled around her, making her feel warm and safe. She thought she was going to lose him. She thought she was going to be stuck in a loveless marriage. She thought her life had been over at that very moment but he had saved her. He had swooped in and taken her away and she was helpless against the sobs she choked on as she pulled at fistfuls of his hair and clothing. "How did you do that?" She cried against him as her tears of joy and relief rolled down her cheeks and dampened his skin and shirt._

 _"I am a persistent man," he smiled and she laughed as she lifted her head to look him in the eye as her soft shaking hands held his face, "and I love you," he told her and she cocked her head as her mouth pulled in to a strained smile as she fought between crying and laughing. Quickly she rose higher and kissed him slow and firm, her fingers moving carefully through his hair as she pulled herself even closer to him. She still cried against his lips and her breaths were shaky and inconsistent and her lips tasted of her tears but he wouldn't have it any other way. It opened up a whole new set of unknown problems with Cora but that didn't matter. He had never felt more secure in his life choices as he did right then with Regina all to himself._

 _"I love you," she breathed against his lips with her forehead against his._

 _"It is going to be okay," he promised and another sharp sob left her lips and she kissed him one more time before she buried her face in to his neck and hugged him just as tight as he was her. And when he opened his eyes he saw the king smiling happily and Cora glaring at him with a fury so potent it chilled him to the bone and had him winding his arms tighter around Regina. That expression let him know that she truly had had no idea of the relationship he held with Regina and while it fed his pride that they had managed to keep such a secret from her, it also meant she was going to be far more furious._

 _But that didn't matter right then and he blinked his attention back to the laughing and crying brunette in his arms. Everything was going to be okay._

David let the memory fade and while all those familiar emotions warmed and ached in his chest, he looked at Regina and saw her tears. Which he expected to see, quite frankly, but what he didn't expect was the tight clench of her jaw. A tight jaw, sure, but not one clenched in anger. It made him frown and he adjusted his seat so he was tipping forward and could try to better see her face. But she turned her head away from him and started to stand up from her place between his legs, "Regina?" He frowned in worry and tried to catch her hand or arm to keep her there but she snatched it away and left the room with sharp steps. She was far too quiet for his liking.

So he quickly stood and followed his silent and crying queen.


	23. Chapter 23

**Well jeez louise it's been a long time! So so sorry! But now that I have my shit together again, the updates should become timely once more. And there really isn't too much left of this story either. But do we even remember what happened in the last chapter? Hahahaha! Here you go! Enjoy some feels! ;) and please leave a review!**

* * *

"Regina?" He called gently with a frown as he followed her in to the foyer. She didn't answer him and he couldn't say where she was trying to run to, nor did he believe her to know either for that matter. He did catch up with her though and when he placed a hand on her upper arm, she spun around and swatted his arm away. It had happened so fast and so harsh it startled him and his look of surprise must have completely masked his look of concern for she gave him a bitter little laugh under her breath and then shook her head at him in disbelief and a whole new level of anger.

" _What_ ," she spat at him and slowly he came to and began to frown and his eyes began to soften. It was an expression that was far too engrained in to his skin to have come to light that quickly and that his surprise was just a momentary reaction. That conclusion led her to realize that the sharpness of her tone and gestures were rather uncalled for to that degree but she was too proud to stand down, too shaken to take it back or apologize. So she stood her ground and her body language screamed 'never touch me again'.

"Please explain to me why you are so upset," he replied gently and she gave him a short harsh laugh under her breath and he worried she was going to straight up attack him. If he didn't know her better he'd say she was in a feral rage. But he did know better. And the longer he watched her the more he came to realize that she was wounded by what she had seen and it was by no means a new wound. Only an old wound that had been ignored and left to fester would harbour such a reaction when touched. When reminded it existed.

But what horrid place he had touched or what exactly had triggered it, he hadn't the slightest clue. But she was ready to kill anyone who so much as dared to dig in to the topic. It didn't stop him though, "Regina."

His voice was tender and kind and was promptly countered by her venom spitting tone, "you played me for a fool and I believed you!"

Completely taken aback, David rocked his head back a little with a deep furrow of his brow, "Regina, what?"

"That is not _me_ , you don't love _me_! You don't know _me_!"

"Regina," he started with a frown and tried not to take her words to heart but couldn't ignore the sting of them.

"You pulled me in to this make believe world of yours! You made me believe you! You made me think it was real! You had built it to be so completely believable but this is something I cannot ever accept! No amount of twisting will _ever_ make this okay!"

"Regina-"

"You have _no_ idea!" She roared at him, her voice as loud and as vicious as she could make it.

"What are you talking about, Regina," he pleaded but she took one lunging step toward him that made him rock back on one foot, wary that she may actually strangle him.

"You have no idea what you are doing! You don't know what it was like for me there! You have no clue as to what that disgusting man was like! You have been showing me a fairytale! You are showing me twisted memories! My memories! You are torturing me with things that could have been! But _that_?!" She shouted as she pointed to the den but he didn't look, his bright blue eyes were on hers with a focus unheard of and it made her love him even more to see him try so hard to make sense of her, "that is not something that could have _ever_ been! Under no circumstances could that _ever_ be true!"

"Leopold?" He questioned, truly wishing for an answer but still not quite sure where she was going. But he knew she didn't see himself or her father as disgusting and there was only one other man in that memory. Not that he viewed Leopold as disgusting. But in all fairness, he had never met the man in the waking world. Regina had killed him before he had even met Snow. But perhaps there was more to why she had killed him.

"Do _not_ say his name in my house!" She screamed as she slammed her open hands against his chest but he didn't flinch or get angry, merely took a quiet step backward to regain his balance. She was in a state she hadn't been in in a long time. One that no one had ever seen but herself and she hated that David was bringing it out of her but also adored how he was handling it. Like he wanted to mend her.

"Okay," he told her kindly, agreeing to her request gently, wanting to know if she was alright but not giving her the answer she wanted to hear just so he could appease her. She did quiet down though with his answer, or at least appeared to, but she wouldn't look at him as she tried to calm her breaths. So he gave her a few moments to herself and when he did decide to break the silence, his voice was tender and patient, "Regina...I had no intention to upset you. Especially like this," he shook his head and she kept her eyes down and her arms folded while her hands shook and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Do you honestly think that if he had been a _good_ and _kind_ and _caring_ man that I would have become the queen I am known to be?" She shook her head in bitter disbelief and when he fumbled for words, she started yelling again, "do you believe that that was all my own doing?! Do you really think that I killed him so I could become queen?! Even after all of what you claim to have learned while you were asleep?! I had no desire to ever be queen, David!"

"Regina, I-"

"And you have the audacity to show me _that_?! Sure he may have been benevolent to his _daughter_ or the people who needed to see him as such! But the moment there were no such eyes on him, the moment he had too much to drink-! You have no idea who that man was! As it shows so _clearly_ by your purely _idealistic_ portrayal! I will _not_ tolerate such visions of grandeur in my life! Get out of my house!"

"Regina-!"

"Get _out_ of my house!"

...

Regina didn't even knock. She merely waltzed in to the fairy's home and slammed the front door behind her and then proceeded to scour the main floor for the pesky winged blonde. Regina found her in the kitchen nursing a glass of wine as she followed her finger through the page of a cookbook. Her head was up and turned, bright green eyes curious and friendly while her finger kept its place on the particular sentence she had been reading. Regina merely glowered at her and was quick to start pacing the length of the fairy's quaint kitchen with only the island separating her and Tink. An island covered in various vegetables and ingredients that Regina hadn't the patience or desire to make sense of.

So she paced while her temper boiled and the fairy seemed to understand that this was not the time for her to speak. Regina couldn't decide if she liked that or not. And then she realized she had become comfortable enough in the blonde's company to barge in to her home without notice or permission and she couldn't decide if she liked that or not either. It was all such uncharted territory, she was so far out of her comfort zone she didn't know what to do with herself. But she knew she couldn't be alone.

She had never had a friend. Let alone a friend she could barge in on knowing without a doubt they wouldn't turn her away. She had never had that trust or that familiarity. And they weren't truly even that close. Nor had she ever had a lover fighting and pushing so hard to be with her. Especially one she wanted so dearly in return but didn't trust a word he said. She did...but she also didn't. She didn't know what to think. She was too upset to make sense of anything let alone whatever complicated things she felt toward David.

"He is a self righteous, self serving, naive, ignorant bastard!" She snarled as she paced and bared her teeth. The words left a foul taste in her mouth but they continued to fall out of her mouth despite herself, "if he thinks that he can continue playing these games to get in to my bed, he is sorely mistaken! It is my home and it is my heart and it is my body, and he doesn't have to right to use me as his plaything to reenact his twisted dream life! I have never seen anything more idealistic! Nothing more perfect to suit his deepest and darkest desires to fuck me!

He was alone. No Snow in the picture, no Emma, no Henry, no Evil Queen, just a sweet and naive young woman who shares my face," she laughed with a shake of her head and came to realize that in her pacing she had drifted toward the island Tink stood on the other side of. The fairy was listening to every word and sipping at her wine and Regina couldn't stop. "She was lonely, she was pretty, she was _good_ ," she sneered with a rock of her head and a curl of her top lip. She wanted to wring his neck. Her hands were fidgety with the need to be busied before she ruined something and when she glanced Tink's way again, the fairy was offering her a knife.

Regina stepped forward and took it with a careless swipe that easily could have ended up with either her or Tink being cut. But their fingers remained intact and she took her anger out on a defenceless onion on the cutting board instead. "I ignored it. I made excuses. I twisted what I was seeing in to something that made sense because I wanted it to make sense," she told her, her tone as sharp and as harsh as the knife quickly and skillfully chopping the onion. She wasn't sure if she believed a single word coming out of her mouth but they were words that needed to be said. Words that she needed to hear aloud in order to judge their merit. "I wanted to believe him when he told me he loved me, I wanted it to be true, so I set it up so I could believe it," she sneered, her lips seemingly caught in a permanent snarl as her knife sliced effortlessly through the onion, dicing it in to smaller and smaller pieces.

"I knew I shouldn't have, I knew it was only going to hurt me in the end, I just didn't expect the end to come so soon after convincing myself of our lies to one another. I should have but I didn't," she growled and just as she promptly finished with the onion, Tink pushed a red pepper in to her workspace and Regina began slicing that.

"I let myself believe him, I should have let myself live in ignorance but I pushed too far, I dug too deep, I fell too far in to his world I wished was mine. He filled in gaps, empty spaces, and there must be more that I didn't see for I was ignoring all the flaws in his world. I wanted to believe him. I _want_ to believe him. But I cannot, no matter how much I wish to believe him, I _cannot_ ignore Leopold," she bit and felt her skin crawl and ache with just the sound of his name coming from her tongue.

Then the pepper was finished and pushed aside and her violent knife honed in on the carrot Tink placed on the wooden cutting board. The sharp sounds of the knife chopping the carrot in to thin disks only fuelled the raging fire in her broken heart. "The kind and accommodating and _benevolent_ king," she snarled out, her voice big and dramatic while her skin crawled over the fact that she was pairing those words with the man, even though she wasn't speaking truth. She wanted to scream. She wanted to scream and tear Tink's kitchen apart but instead slaughtered the carrot at her fingertips with excessive violence. The knife rapped hard against the wooden board, hard and quick and left the carrot in a row of uniform disks.

Her shoulders ached with the tension they held and her arms were no better as the tears burned in her eyes and Tink silently gave her another carrot to attack. It was chopped in seconds and when Tink surrendered a third carrot, Regina found her next words to come out in a harsh and sudden sob, "the selfless king who wouldn't dare hurt a girl whose heart belonged with another, whose spirit flew with the wind, whose soul yearned for freedom and love," she shook her head and despite her teary vision and her shaking hands, she swiftly and violently cut through another carrot.

The sound was so satisfying. The slice of the knife, the crunch of the carrot, the thunk of the sharp blade against the wood beneath. It was a sound so similar to that of a knife going through a finger. It sent a shiver down her spine, thrilling her, exciting her, lifting goosebumps on her skin as she recalled every time she had wished to cut the king's fingers off for touching her.

Another carrot. "The man would would most definitely sacrifice the ultimate happiness of his spoiled daughter for the happiness of a perfect stranger," she snarled, every word bitter on her tongue and churning her stomach but every chop more satisfying than the one before. His fingers skimming her arm in passing. Chop. His touch lingering on her waist. Chop. Her hip. Chop. Her thigh. Chop, chop, _chop_. She could feel his cold hands all over her and it sent unbelievable tension in to every fibre of her body as hot tears welled in her eyes.

She wanted nothing more, absolutely nothing more, in that moment than to surround herself in David's touch so his loving hands could chase away her skin's memories of the old king's touch. And when Tink supplied her with another carrot her hands were shaking more than ever but the cuts of her knife were no less direct. "How dare he depict him as such!" She cried and wished her voice had more strength in its anger but it was shaky with the sob that wished to be freed.

"My skin is vibrating! To know that David believes that that man was good and kind and fair! Even if he tries to see the good in people, there was no good in that man! And I just-!" She had no words left. She just wanted to scream and when Tink placed another carrot on the cutting board, Regina did just that. She let out a scream of anger and disgust and hatred as she spun the knife in her grip and stabbed its point through the carrot and in to the cutting board and then let go of it where it stood. Hatred for the man that ultimately broke her, anger that she felt so unsteady and rattled in her own skin, and disgust over the way her skin crawled with memories of the old king. She wanted to scrub herself with sandpaper and kill him all over again but this time with her own two hands.

"What the hell are you cooking that needs so many god damn _carrots_?!" She roared as she flung her arms up and out on either side of her. She was a wreck. An absolute mess. But Tink didn't mind, Tink never seemed to mind and when she did, she was so quick to let it go.

"Nothing," Tink replied simply and then shrugged a little with her wine glass still in hand, "you just seemed to like the distraction and the other vegetables won't keep as well after being chopped to death," she told her and kept her voice plain to keep Regina on the path to calming down. She wanted to cry with her, wanted to hug her and tell her she'd put David in his place herself and then tell her she was being stupid and needed to go back to him. She wanted to support her and chase her demons away. But Regina was and always had been difficult. Sometimes she just needed to explode before she was able to find clarity and peace. Sometimes she just needed to come to the answers herself for no amount of people telling her what to do would ever change her mind.

So Tink watched quietly as Regina let out an exhausted and miserable laugh and left the knife buried in her cutting board as she turned away from it with a hand on her hip and the other in her hair. She didn't go far though. Only a couple steps before she turned back around and sunk to the floor with her back against the cupboard under the kitchen sink. Then with her eyes closed and a hand still in her dark hair, Regina kicked out a leg and her foot hit the side of the island with a sharp thud. She was more than upset and Tink knew that she wasn't truly the one she needed comfort from but she also knew that Regina wasn't going to lick these wounds in front of David. Not yet.

Without a word, Tink took one last sip of her wine and set the glass on the island so she could quietly make her way to her distressed friend and join her on the floor. With a long exhale she slid down to the floor beside Regina and the woman finally burst in to tears and her shaking hands covered her mouth and pulled at her hair. The sight broke Tink's heart and when she put her chin on Regina's shoulder, the woman was quick to tip her head against hers. Tink didn't know everything, she didn't want to know everything, but she was no fool and could read between the lines. Exceptionally vague lines now, given the scene Regina had allowed her to witness.

"He wasn't a good man," Regina spoke aloud the mantra she chanted in her mind countless times over countless years. Tink only pushed her head in to hers a little heavier and started to wind her arms around her middle.

"I know," Tink breathed and the shaking hand that had been pulling at her hair, came down to take a grip of the forearm Tink had wound around her stomach. It made her heart sore. More sore than she had ever felt toward the woman. Not once had Regina ever sought such support from her and not once had she accepted such offered comfort. She tried not to let the heavy atmosphere linger too long though. She let it stay for as long as was needed and then broke it with a skillfully placed, "you owe me a new cutting board," and earned herself a laugh from the woman beside her. Teary and tired but a laugh nonetheless.

...

She had spent hours at Tink's. Made possible by the fact Henry had made plans to spend the night with Emma. Regina had been thrilled about it as she had wanted Henry's company that evening but given how the day had panned out, she was glad he wasn't in the middle of it. So she stayed with Tink and the fairy comforted her with wine and did her best to distract her with stories but they both knew exactly what needed to be done.

She couldn't get David out of her house so she had left it herself, had sped out of her driveway in her Mercedes with David on her heels insisting she stayed. But she needed to get away. She could only feel Leopold breathing down her neck. And now as she turned on to Mifflin Street, she hoped so dearly that David was still there.

She didn't expect him to be. But she hoped.

Her steps were slow as she climbed out of the Mercedes and began walking the path to her front door. She was preparing herself to be disappointed. Preparing to find her home empty of the one person she needed more than ever. But when she turned the corner, that foolish shepherd was sitting on her front step and the sight alone nearly put her in tears.

The moment he saw her walking toward him, he was pushing himself to his feet. He had spent her whole absence trying to figure out what to say and how to make amends with her. His heart ached in his chest but Ashe she got closer, his words failed to express to her how sorry he was for triggering such horrible memories. Memories she had undoubtedly spent years burying. He couldn't find his voice at all and when her eyes fell down and to the side as she neared him, it was safe to assume that she had found herself in a similar predicament.

But the tension between her brows and the slight and wary sway in to him had his arms opening to her and she didn't hesitate to fill them. He drew her in close and held her tight and she let out a single sharp sob in to his neck, one of relief and gratitude that she was safe with him as she clamped hers around his shoulders and threaded her fingers through his hair and fisted the back of his shirt. "I am sorry, Regina," he breathed as his brow furrowed and she shook her head, nuzzling her face further in to his neck while he framed it to better surround her, "I should have assumed there had been some level of foul play, I-"

"Stop," she pleaded, her voice small and broken and his arms wound even tighter while his breaths began to carry a slight quiver, "please stop," she shook her head and he buried his nose in to her hair. "You are not him," she started and swallowed the tightness in her throat but her words still shook, "you are a _good_ man," she whimpered and then he lifted a hand to her head and even though it wasn't a touch meant to lift her head, she lifted it anyway with the hopes that she could look him in the eye. But she couldn't find the courage. She only got as far as his frowning lips and her brow knitted together even further the longer she looked at them. "I want you to be good to me," she breathed and a tear slipped down her cheek leaving a wet track that he so tenderly wiped away with the pad of his thumb.

His mouth and jaw got tighter with every passing second and it was anger that did it but the guilt and sorrow and compassion and wish to make her pain disappear and undo what had been done to her. "All I can feel are his hands on me and I know you will be able to chase them away," she broke and it came out as a small cry and once the words were out she was sucking in a shaky breath and dropping her eyes to his chest, "I just want you to be good to me. _Please_."

She felt sick to her stomach, dirty, and in pain, as though she had just left the king's bed chambers and she knew she loved this shepherd prince, she knew she did. She knew he could put her back together, she knew he wouldn't hurt her, she knew she could trust him while she was so vulnerable, even if he had been the one to put her in this state she knew he hadn't meant to and felt just as sick as she did that he had. She knew that he could make her feel clean again, she knew that he could love her the way she desired most of all. And when he kissed her then in front of her big white house, she was overcome with an overwhelming sense of home. She had never been so comforted by a single kiss.

She shivered from head to toe as another tear slipped past her lashes and she could feel the whispers of the cold and possessive touches of Leopold fade with every touch of David's fingers upon her face and neck. She needed him everywhere. She wanted him to make her his. She wanted to be his.

"I love you," he breathed against her parted lips and her reply nearly made him burst in to tears.

"I believe you."


End file.
